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Tenants take Barney River to LTB for tenant rights violations as rent strike enters 5th month

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Over a hundred tenants at 1440 and 1442 Lawrence Ave W have been on rent strike against Barney River Investments since October 1st. As the rent strike continues into its fifth month, tenants rallied outside of the Barney River property management office this afternoon and served notice that they will be filing against Barney River at the LTB for tenant rights abuses and serious breaches of their maintenance obligations. 

Largest rent strike in Toronto’s history, as two more buildings join

More than 100 tenants at 1440 and 1442 Lawrence Avenue West will go on Rent Strike as of October 1st, joining what is shaping up to be the largest rent strike in Toronto's history. Their landlord, Barney River Investments, has refused to address serious repairs in the building while consistently increasing rents above rent control. 

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Quayside: No More Public Land for Private Profit!

Dream Unlimited is set to develop for-profit housing on public land known as the Quayside, but we know what happens when public land is given to a predatory landlord like Dream Unlimited -- it's what's happening at 22 John St right now.

Dream Unlimited is the owner and corporate landlord of 22 John St (and 33 King St), where hundreds of tenants have been on rent strike since June 1st protesting outrageous rent increases on previously public land.  Rather than coming to the table to negotiate these rent increases with tenants, Dream Unlimited is filing for mass evictions. 

Help us tell Waterfront Toronto NOT to do business with Dream Unlimited, and that public land is NOT for private profit!

Weston Solidarity with 22 John and 33 King

Community Solidarity with 33 King & 22 John for Rent Control

A coalition of more than 50 local food banks, faith and community organizations announced their support of hundreds of tenants on rent strike for rent control at 33 King St and 22 John St in Weston. The buildings share the same corporate landlord, Dream Unlimited, who has been increasing rents far above rent control over the last five years and has now begun the process of mass evictions. But our community is taking a stand for affordable housing, and we need YOUR support!

1440-1442 Lawrence Ave W

Send a Message to the Landlord Tenant Board in Solidarity with the 1440-1442 Lawrence Tenant Association!

For years, Barney River Investments have been neglecting the buildings they own at 1440 and 1442 Lawrence Avenue West — while harassing and threatening tenants, charging illegal rent and even going so far as illegal lockouts.

The neglect includes mold, leaks, and broken appliances. Canada Post hasn’t delivered the mail to these buildings in over 3 years because of bed bugs, cockroaches, and mice. No one should be living in these conditions.

Due to these substandard living conditions, tenants in the buildings came together to form a Tenant Association and withhold their rent in order to take on Barney River and fight for their right to affordable and livable housing.

Since forming the tenant association, the landlord has been systematically targeting tenant association members and violating their tenant rights, including illegal lockouts, failing to serve notice of hearings to known members of the tenant association, threatening members with baseless eviction notices and demanding illegal rent payments.

Tenants are fighting to get these issues addressed. They have also filed tenant applications to the Landlord and Tenant Board. But the Board has failed to schedule those applications.

Enough is enough.

We are demanding that the Landlord Tenant Board hear the 1440-1442 Lawrence Tenant Associations’ collective T2 (tenant rights violations) and T6 (maintenance violations) applications immediately.

You can read the T2 application here, and the T6 application here.

We can’t win this fight alone — we are stronger together. 

If you care about the right to housing and disapprove of Barney River’s treatment of tenants, please take a moment to send a letter to the Landlord Tenant Board asking them to hear the collective T2 and T6 applications immediately.

So far the LTB has scheduled dozens of the landlord’s L1 hearings to evict tenants but has failed to schedule tenants’s collective T2 and T6 applications, despite granting the hearing “expedited status.”

In one of the latest eviction hearings against one of the leaders of the tenant association, Rashid Limbada, the adjudicator refused to hear evidence related to tenants’ rights violations.

We need you to send a letter to help give tenants of 1440-1442 Lawrence a chance to be heard at the LTB.

Rent Control Now!

Rent Control on all Housing Built on Public Land and with Public Funding!

 

Rent control is to tenants what minimum wage is to workers – the bare minimum.

While Premier Doug Ford took away this basic housing right from tens of thousands of tenants in Ontario, on Wednesday June 26, Toronto City Council has the opportunity to make rent control a reality on all municipal housing initiatives. 

Unfortunately city staff are recommending that real rent control isn't "financially feasible," and is recommending that City Council votes to approve rent increases 2 - 3 times higher than rent control for housing built on public land and with public funding. 

Tell City Council that we need real rent control now!

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Address: 2575 Eglinton Ave W, Toronto, ON M6M 1T3