Hamilton tenants win against renoviction attempts

Tenants at a Hamilton apartment building are celebrating after successfully blocking their landlord's attempts to evict them for renovations. The Ontario Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) ruled against the landlord, Jon Pilon, who wanted to carry out cosmetic upgrades while evicting longtime residents. Many tenants, including Beverly Hoadley, 87, and Amanda Dick, 42, have lived in the Emerald Street South building for decades. They received eviction notices claiming the landlord needed to make significant changes, including creating basement units and upgrading existing apartments. The tenants argued that the planned work did not warrant their eviction. The LTB decision revealed that the landlord had not provided adequate evidence to show that the renovations were extensive enough to require empty apartments. Pilon claimed he had not obtained necessary city permits due to a past ransomware attack on city services. However, the board found his reasons insufficient. Amanda Dick expressed relief at the decision, highlighting the difficulties she would face in finding affordable housing on a fixed income. While the landlord can attempt to evict tenants again, Dick is hopeful that new city regulations will deter him from doing so. A recently introduced bylaw requires landlords to apply for a license and provide documentation proving that evictions are necessary for renovations. The bylaw also guarantees that if tenants are displaced, they must be offered comparable housing at a similar rent. Failure to comply can result in significant fines for landlords. Support from tenant advocacy groups played a crucial role in helping residents prepare for the LTB hearing.