Numerous residents living in a notorious apartment building in East York are demanding justice from their landlord, requesting refunds on their rent due to ongoing issues with the deteriorating state of the building.
Located at 500 Dawes Road, tenants of the building have been facing challenges such as rodent infestations, deteriorating ceilings, and balconies in disrepair for an extended period. With the support of legal representation, tenants have banded together to take collective action, initiating two applications against the landlord through the Landlord and Tenant Board.
Ryan Endoh, a leading figure in the tenant advocacy efforts, expressed the group’s objectives, aiming to secure refunds ranging from 40 to 60 percent of the rent paid over the past year, along with ongoing rent reductions. Additionally, they are seeking damages and other remedies to address the situation.
Despite the issuance of numerous fines by city officials against property owner Carolyn Kreb, totaling over 80 property violation orders in the last ten years, the persistent problems remain unresolved.
Former City Councillor Janet Davis highlighted the severity of the situation, citing 84 outstanding orders with numerous violations. Mayor Olivia Chow visited the building during the summer to witness the conditions firsthand and promised remedial action, which involves city-hired contractors addressing the building issues with the expenses borne by the landlord through property taxes. However, the timeline for these actions has been delayed to 2026, leaving tenants in a challenging position.
Endoh emphasized the disconnect between policy intentions and their implementation, underscoring the need for effective solutions to address the housing crisis. The hope is that the upcoming report will provide robust measures to enforce remedial actions on negligent landlords, shifting the financial burden onto property taxes.
Efforts to contact the property owner for a statement were unsuccessful, leaving tenants facing a potentially lengthy wait until their case is heard at the Landlord and Tenant Board.