Donate To The 394 Dovercourt Tenant Defense Fund Now!
Donate today to help us beat eviction from our homes!!!
For the past two years, we the tenants of 394 Dovercourt Road have been fighting renoviction. To continue the fight, we need your support. We have expenses related to our landlord’s case to evict us at the Landlord and Tenant Board. We now need to hire the services of professionals to provide expert testimony at our upcoming hearing in February 2020.
Background
AIPL Canada the building at 394 Dovercourt Road in 2017. AIPL offered tenants small sums of money to move out. When tenants declined, AIPL issued eviction notices. AIPL then applied to the Landlord and Tenant Board to evict all thirteen tenants. The Board dismissed the evictions only for the landlord to apply to evict tenants a second time.
We’ve all heard the stories. The data backs them up. Investors buy rental properties in “up and coming” areas. They evict the sitting tenants, renovate units, and more than double the rent.
In Ontario, tenants’ “right of first refusal” is not upheld. On paper, landlords should give tenants the option to return to their unit once renovations are completed. In reality, the landlord rents the unit to a new tenant at a higher rent. The evicted tenant has no recourse to regain possession.
The Toronto Star has documented how the tenants of 795 College Street found this out the hard way.
AIPL claims it has to alter the units at 394 Dovercourt. They say the work is so extensive that it requires tenants to move out. Tenants believe this is nothing more than a pretext to their eviction. While the wiring in the building is old, it is in good working condition. The real reason AIPL wants the tenants out is so they can raise rent on the vacant units without limit.
