Forced out: Dartmouth tenants told to leave apartments after buildings sold
People who live in a couple of older apartment buildings in north end Dartmouth, N.S., say they're being tossed out now that the owner has sold the properties.
Although the ban on so-called "renovictions" was lifted in March, property owners say current restrictions are forcing them out of business, and they are going to be happening more and more.
Tenant Corena Hiles has lived in a one bedroom unit for the last eight months, and got the news in a note from the owner.
"If you find this letter tucked under your door or taped to your door that means I have been to your apartment and you were not home," the note reads.
"I am sorry I missed seeing you as I wanted to deliver to you in person this sensitive news," the note goes on to explain the buildings have been sold and major renovations will begin on Sept. 30.
"This means, unfortunately, your leases will not be renewed and you will have to move," reads the letter.
"Well, what went through my mind was, 'I'm screwed,'” said Hiles.
"And I received the notice the day after I returned home from my father's funeral."
There's uncertainty next door as well for Adam Whynacht, who lost both legs to diabetes.
A social worker is trying to find Whynacht and his wife a new place, but there's not a lot of money in the budget.
”Right now, it's $750 for us to live here. If we move back in, it might be anywhere from $900 to well over a thousand dollars," said Whynacht.
There's also little doubt both buildings have seen better days.
A city inspection on July 11 noted eight violations in one unit alone:
- Broken boards on an exterior deck outside of the unit;
- A door serving the unit was not secure to the frame;
- A bathtub in the unit was missing the enamel;
- The smoke alarms in the unit are to be cleaned and tested, to ensure they are in good working order;
- The front concrete stairs were deteriorated, missing chunks of concrete;
- The self-closer on the secure door was not working;
- The bathtub faucet in the unit was leaking; and,
- Pest concerns in the unit
"The property owner must address the noted violations," said HRM Public Affairs Advisor Klara Needler in an email to CTV News.
"Please note this is an active file, and Building Standards is currently in communication with the property owner," Needler said.
The owner declined to speak on camera with CTV News, but said he's worked hard to fix everything brought to his attention.
He adds that all tenants have short-term leases, and with a signed offer on the table, he hopes to sell the buildings and retire.
"There's no winner in this, and it's very tragic," says Kevin Russell, executive director of the Investment Property Owners Association of Nova Scotia (IPOANS), a group that speaks for owners of more than 50,000 units in Nova Scotia.
Although the province has lifted its ban on "renovictions," new rules are in place to prevent them from happening, along with a 2 per cent rent cap, in place for another 16 months.
"We're in a high inflationary period, where operating costs are higher and the 2 per cent rent doesn't cut it anymore," says Russell.
"And now (the owners) find themselves in a negative cash flow, so it's very strenuous for them. They have no alternative but to sell their business."
Back in Dartmouth, Hiles knows she's got a little less than two months to clear out of her home. She says she'll take her clothes, but little else.
“And I want compensation for that. I think that everybody in this building should be entitled to some sort of compensation."
A high price to pay, she says, for reasonable rent in an increasingly unreasonable rental market.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Keeping these exotic pets is 'cruel' and 'dangerous,' Canadian animal advocates say
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
Prince William and wife Kate thank public for birthday messages for son Louis
Prince William and his wife Kate thanked the public for their messages which had been sent to mark the sixth birthday of their youngest son Louis on Tuesday.
She was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father. Then life dealt her a blow
Anne Marie Cavner was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father, but then life dealt her a blow. From an unexpected loss to a host of new relationships, a DNA test changed her life, and she doesn't regret a thing.
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
'Catch-and-kill' strategy to be a focus as testimony resumes in Trump hush money case
A veteran tabloid publisher was expected to return to the witness stand Tuesday in Donald Trump's historic hush money trial.
Quebec farmers have been protesting since December. Is anyone listening?
Upset about high interest rates, growing paperwork and heavy regulatory burdens, protesting farmers have become a familiar sight across Quebec since December.
South Korean sentenced to 14 months in jail for killing 76 cats
South Korean man has been sentenced to 14 months in prison for killing 76 cats in one of the country's most gruesome cases of animal cruelty in recent years.