Alleged renoviction forces Chatham apartment residents to fight back

An entire building of residents say that they’ve been served eviction notices so their landlord can renovate the property, CTV Windsor’s Robert Lothian reports.

Tenants of a Chatham apartment building face the threat of losing their homes after it was recently sold to a new owner.

40 tenants at Terrace Forty Apartments received an N-13 notice earlier this month, which claims tenants must move out for eight months to facilitate necessary renovations.

Delivered on a Friday, resident Gord Harvey told CTV News the notice sent waves of “anxiety” among residents in the building, unable to receive any answers until after the weekend.

The decades-old building is largely home to seniors, and the average rent is believed to be about $850.

In a tight rental market, where Terrace Forty residents would likely pay a much higher rent elsewhere, Harvey said many would be left in uncertainty.

“There was enough people in this building [who] were not worried about; How am I going to get to another place? Am I going to find a place? They were worried about being homeless,” Harvey said.

The offer did not state residents would be able to return with the same rent.

Included in the notice was an N-11, also known as a cash for keys offer. Residents could end their tenancy and receive $5,000.

Word quickly made its way to Chatham-Kent Coun. Marjorie Crew, who helped to contact the Chatham-Kent Legal Clinic (CKLC).

In the weeks since the notice, Harvey said various members of council, including the mayor, have met with residents and are actively looking for ways to support them.

According to Jeff Wilkins, a housing stability worker for the CKLC who is helping residents of the building , the notices are a “scare tactic” meant to force the hand of those who may be unaware of their rights.

“They’re not very honest with the paperwork that they gave, and they’re trying to say that this is a safety measure for your health and safety,” Wilkins said.

The measure has been used in other parts of Ontario as a form of renoviction, where landlords find reasons to remove tenants, renovate the building, and increase the rents substantially.

Wilkins noted the building owner previously made a similar effort in another city.

He added tenants received a “deceptive” package from the landlord that pointed to concerns over asbestos and lead in the building. However, those concerns were not included in the N-13 notice.

“It just talks about installing new kitchen, repairing, renovating floors, doors, bathrooms, plumbing and electrical systems as required,” he said.

It’s not uncommon for older buildings to contain asbestos, once used to make stronger, fire-resistant structures.

Health Canada states it does not pose a significant health risk if it is left undisturbed.

“That makes absolutely no sense at all. You can remediate asbestos very easily, and you don’t have to evict the tenant,” Wilkins said.

He noted they’ve had trouble getting in contact with the building owner. CTV News made several attempts to call the listed phone numbers for the building on Wednesday but did not receive a response.

So far, 33 people have indicated they want to remain in the building, and Wilkins said they plan to fight tooth and nail to ensure that happens.