Renters on strike with no end in sight
North York residents withholding payment over ‘dire’ living conditions, rent hikes above provincial limit
At 1440 and 1442 Lawrence Avenue West, two white brick apartment buildings in North York covered in blue balconies, more than 100 people are on a rent strike.
They have not paid rent since Oct. 1, according to the York SouthWeston Tenants’ Union. It’s been nearly seven months since those residents began the rent strike against the real estate company that owns the buildings over what they say are poor conditions and a series of rent hikes higher than the provincial limit.
But with not enough improvement and units still in dire condition, according to union co-chair Chiara Padovani, the strike continues. On Sunday, residents marched down a section of Lawrence Avenue to protest the lack of action.
They were joined by tenants from two other nearby buildings who have been striking for close to a year.
At the Lawrence Avenue apartments — the site of a four-day sit-in in December to protest the eviction of one tenant — residents complain of foul-smelling hallways and dirty carpets in common areas. In units, cupboards are broken and bathrooms have leaks, according to one resident. Many floors are dealing with cockroach and bed bug infestations while the elevators are often broken.
Canada Post even stopped delivering mail, citing in notes posted in the lobbies the “ongoing health and safety at your location.”
And while conditions have slowly improved since the rent strike began — the garbage chutes have been fixed, the carpets have been cleaned and holes in hallway walls were patched — the units are still in “dire, dire” conditions, Padovani said.
“People are treated like animals,” said Sayeed Nooruddin, who has lived at 1440 Lawrence since 2018.
And it’s not just the conditions — three above-guideline rent increases have been filed for 1440 and 1442 Lawrence in the last seven years. While rent increases in buildings occupied before November 2018 are limited to a rate set by the provincial government — this year’s increase limit is 2.5 per cent — landlords can apply to raise it more for renovations, repairs or other reasons.
At 33 King Street and 22 John Street, located about a 10-minute drive east, tenants have been on rent strike since last June. They experienced three above-guideline increases between 2018 and 2021, according to Sharlene Henry, who has lived in the building for nearly 20 years.
It’s gotten to the point where most people in these buildings know the acronym: AGIs.
“Once you start drilling, once you start doing major renovations, we’re gonna get another AGI,” said Henry, co-chair of the York SouthWeston Tenants’ Union. “We’re that well-versed that we know it’s gonna come.”
Above-guideline increases are one of three major loopholes in Ontario’s rent control system, according to a report released last week by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
“We’ve seen very large corporations that are publicly traded — we know their financial state — and they apply for AGIs consistently,” report co-author Ricardo Tranjan told the Star last week. “There is no burden of proof required.”
It’s a frustration shared by Padovani, the other union co-chair.
“AGIs are the biggest scam. It’s gotta be taken out,” Padovani said. “It’s the landlord’s basic responsibility to maintain their buildings. They should not be allowed to charge premium rents for doing what has always been their job.”
Barney River, the real estate company that owns 1440 and 1442 Lawrence, did not respond to the Star’s request for comment Sunday in time for publication. Dream Unlimited, which owns 33 King and 22 John, told the Star last week it had not applied for any above-guideline increases at 33 King — rather, the three hikes were submitted by the previous building owner.
Padovani says building residents will continue their rent strikes until the above-guideline increases are pulled back and the buildings are improved. At 33 King and 22 John, where the rent strike started with about 200 people, around 150 are still participating, according to Henry.