Tenants group vs rent increase, forced eviction

Tenants group vs rent increase, forced eviction

The Federation of Metro Tenants’ association are embarking on a move to help tenants against the spiralling rent increases, forcible ejection, illegal demotion, and other acts inimical to them.

According to Dan McIntyre, FMTA’s program coordinator and organizing tenants, said that the tenants’ associations are working with some members of the Ontario Provincial Parliament to return the law into tenant protection and at the same time, a law that’s fair to both the tenants and the landlords.

McIntyre said that tenants’ associations are coordinating and working closely with Minister John Garretsen of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing and MPP representing Kingston and the Isands Riding together with MPP Brad Duguid of the Scarborough South so as to introduce a new tenant law in Ontario. He raised some of the problems raised by tenants which include high cost of apartment rentals and their increases from 10 ppercent and above yearly, substandard maintenance, behaviour of landlords, landlords exploitation of tenants, lack of concern on the building cleanliness, among others.

McIntyre said that tenants who have problems with their landlords are advised to get in touch with the Federation of Metro Tenants’ Associations at 27 Carlton St., Suite 500, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1L2. The telephone numbers are (416( 921-9494, (416) 646-1772, (416) 413-9442, The fax is (416) 921-4177. The Email addresses are dan@torontotenants.org and hotline@torontotenants.org.

He cited the suggested changes in the current Tenant Law in Ontario are the elimination of the 2 percent annual bonus for landlords, the elimination of the 5 percent management bonus and interest allowance; to reduce rent for all tenants who fell victim of extraordinary operating costs increase provisions under the Tenant

Protection Act; to allow tenants to raise costs no longer borne as a defense against capital expenditure increasees in buildings that have already been granted above guideline increases for capital expenditures to similar work done in the past; to allow tenants to apply for reductions based on excessive vacancy decontrol rate increase among others.

Jojo Taduran
PRESS RELEASE