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Posts Tagged ‘Repairs’

MLS AUDITING PROGRAM FOR 2011 – Update

Posted in 2011 Rent Increase Guideline, Apartment Issues, Auditing programme, Building Maintenance, HST, Jim Hart, MLS Building Audit, MRAB, Municipal Licensing and Standards, Property standards violations, Repairs and maintenance, Vacancy Decontrol, tagged , , , , , , , , on January 28, 2011| 10 Comments »

For the current year and commencing January 2011, the Municipal Licencing and Standards department (MLS) has provided updated information on the resumption of the audit program in multi-residential apartment buildings (MRAB). MLS has included a list of buildings scheduled for auditing as well as specific items to be targeted in their audits. For example, the audits will include ‘common areas, mechanical systems and grounds of the building’ for property standard violations. Refer to this link for details: http://www.toronto.ca/licensing/mrab/audit_activity_by_ward.htm

According to the article “Inspectors to probe city’s 5,000 rental buildings” published in April 2010, Jim Hart (Executive Director of MLS) stated:  ” We’re actually going to get our own staff to go out there effectively with a checklist and do every single (rental) building in the city and kind of rate them,” and that “he’s determined to send out about 100 inspectors to give nearly 5,000 buildings a once-over, so his 12-member audit team can better focus its efforts on the buildings most in need of improvements”. Refer to this link for the full article: (more…)

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Energy conservation and retrofitting

Posted in Above Guideline increase, Apartment Issues, Capital Expenditures, Energy Conservation, Greening, Operating expenditures, Renovations, Repairs and maintenance, Smart meters, Tenant Association, tagged , , , , , , on May 30, 2010| 9 Comments »

In recent months there has been a noticeable increase of renovation and retrofitting activities in apartment buildings in the GTA. Most of these renovations are related to upgrades to promote energy conservation. Renovations include fixes to faulty plumbing and heating systems, installing smart sub-meters, and replacement of ageing balcony doors and windows for more energy efficient ones. While general repairs and renovations are long overdue in older buildings there are other newer buildings  undergoing (more…)

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WITHHOLDING RENT . . .

Posted in Apartment Issues, Building Maintenance, Compensation, Complaints, Complaints letter, Eviction, Landlord and Tenant Board, Last Month Rent (LMR), Legal Assistance, Problem Landlords, Repairs, Repairs and maintenance, T2, T6, Tenants boot camp, Withholding rent, tagged , , , , , , , , , on February 24, 2009| 6 Comments »

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SMOKE FREE HOUSING . . .

Posted in Building Code, Building Maintenance, Capital Expenditures, City of Toronto, Health Concerns, Problem Landlords, Ranee Management, Residential Tenancies Act, Second-hand smoke, Smoke free housing, T2, T6, Tenancy Agreement, Tenants boot camp, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on January 21, 2009| 2 Comments »

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REPAIRS & Building Maintenance issues

Posted in Above Guideline increase, Activism, Auditing programme, Bed bugs, Capital Expenditures, City Inspectors, CMHC, Compensation, Complaints letter, Elevators, Eviction, Garbage, Garbage disposal, Landlord and Tenant Board, Last Month Rent (LMR), Municipal Licensing and Standards, Noise, Noise Complaints, Problem Landlords, Repairs, Repairs and maintenance, Residential Tenancies Act, Security, Security Camera, Soundproof, T2, T6, Tenant Association, Tenants boot camp, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 30, 2008| 15 Comments »

(NOTE – refer to our post on Balcony Renovations at this link for relevant information on issues related to repairs: https://eastyorktenantsgroup.com/2019/09/12/balcony-renovations-and-above-guideline-increases/  )

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Many tenants in Beaches-East York have relayed frustrating experiences with ‘problem landlords’ and property managers when requesting needed repairs to their apartment or when they complain about poor building maintenance. Unresolved complaints for outstanding repairs and building maintenance issues seem to be the bane of the existence of many tenants in the City of Toronto. Although your rental agreement clearly outlines the rights and responsibilities of both the tenant and the landlord, some landlords and property managers do not comply with the regulations set out in the “RESIDENTIAL TENANCIES ACT” 

Here is what tenants have been telling us:

  •   Absence of tenant associations – The most common concern is the challenges faced when attempting to establish a tenants association in order to help tenants resolve complaints and violations. Tenants tell us landlords do not encourage this activity and that landlords remove any notices related to organizing tenants from the communal notice board. The security guards are also instructed to remove any pamphlets and flyers related to this activity. It was suggested that since the security guards remove these while doing their rounds between 4:00 pm and midnight the tenants should deliver the flyers either after midnight or around 6:00 am and that flyers should be inserted carefully so that they are not visible from outside the doors. The Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 clearly states that: “It is an offence to try to prevent a tenant from forming a tenants’ association or taking part in one.”  
  • Violations by landlords and property managers – Tenants are confused by the longwinded process in place to resolve offences and/or violations committed by landlords. They feel helpless about the delaying tactics used by landlords when needed repairs are requested. (more…)

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ELECTION IS OVER . . . now what?

Posted in Activism, Affordable housing, Canada's Housing Policy, CMHC, Economy, Politics, Rent Control, Residential Tenancies Act, Tax breaks, tagged , , , , , , , on October 26, 2008| 1 Comment »

 

In Beaches-East York the incumbent Liberal MP, Maria Minna, is once again heading back to Ottawa to represent us. The East York Tenants Group congratulate her.

Now to the business of getting some concrete action from our newly re-elected federal representative and the newly formed federal government.

Although our recently re-elected MP is in the opposition, tenants in Beaches-East York have certain expectations with regard to alleviating hardships faced by tenants, who by the way, comprise a huge segment of the residential households in Beaches-East York.

In the weeks preceding the election we raised a number of important tenants’ issues, not least of which is ‘affordable housing’. Two of the main factors in realizing ‘affordable housing’ are:  i) an adequate supply of rental apartment buildings and/or, ii) bringing back ‘rent controls.’  Several community groups and organizations have raised these issues time and again with politicians. The East York Tenants Group e-mailed political representatives at all levels of government (more…)

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