London ACORN members gathered at Victoria Park on Saturday to name the city’s worst landlords as part of the group’s second annual ‘Slummies’ awards. The event, held at 1 p.m. at the park’s bandshell, highlighted tenant complaints about delayed repairs, pest infestations, and landlords who fail to respond to concerns. The awards are based on tenant nominations and votes, with three categories recognizing landlords for poor maintenance, excessive rent increases and a lack of communication. Claire Wittnebel, chair of London ACORN, said the group collected tenant testimonies and survey responses to highlight the conditions renters are facing across the city. “We’re presenting three main awards today,” Wittnebel said. The categories include the Golden Cockroach Award for landlords accused of neglecting maintenance, the Rent Gouger Award for landlords criticized for significant rent increases, and the Ghost Landlord Award for those who allegedly fail to respond to tenants. Christina Bobb, an ACORN tenant who has lived at 235 Gray Street for 16 years, said it’s difficult to get a response from her landlord. “We’re waiting months to get simple repairs done, or even a response to requests for repairs,” Bobb said. Wittnebel said the problems extend beyond individual buildings and reflect a broader issue for renters in London. “This is not an isolated incident. This is a systemic issue happening across the city,” she said. ACORN is calling on the City of London to introduce landlord licensing, which the group says would help hold landlords accountable through proactive inspections of common areas and stronger enforcement of existing bylaws designed to protect tenants. Members also displayed petitions collected across the city in support of landlord licensing and called on mayoral and ward candidates to commit to the proposal ahead of the Oct. 26 municipal election. The organization says the awards are intended to draw attention to tenants’ experiences and build support for stronger protections for renters.
