Tenants of a Saskatoon high-rise say rent increase is unfair
Residents at a downtown Saskatoon apartment complex are speaking out about what they say are unreasonable rent increases and a lack of attention to building repairs.
A sliding door that hasn’t closed properly for seven years is just one of the problems Edgar Calderon has with his Barrington Place studio apartment.
“For seven years they come to see it and say it cost too much money to fix it. Yes, they told me that because they had to fix the frame and open it up or whatever,” Calderon told CTV News.
He’s lived in the building for 13 years and says the upkeep of the building has gotten increasingly worse over the years.
Now to add to it, the 67-year-old was just told his rent would go up by $375 a month starting in August, which is almost a 50 per cent increase from his existing $775 rent.
“I am retired, plus power went up, food went up,” he says.
Moving is expensive too, he said, but the bottom line is he can’t afford the increase and will be forced to leave.
“I would like to see the company be more fair with the increase, and fix the building,” he said.
The concerns are similar for fellow tenant Peter Davey.
He says water damage caused by a June fire in a top-floor suite still sits unfinished on his floor. Some damage to his suite was just recently finished but two days after those repairs, he got a notice about a steep rent increase.
“I will move. It’s not a big issue for me. I’m disappointed with the company,” Davey told CTV News.
He is advocating for others in the building who have come to him and said they can’t move because some are seniors, and some are parents with small children, making it challenging.
Davey would prefer not to move from his home of five years, where he lives with his 19-year-old son. He said he has made friends in the building, which is part of the reason he wants to advocate for others also.
Colliers took over management of the building in October and said in an email that they’re looking into the issue and declined to comment further.
For Calderon and Davey the issues speak for themselves. With only one working elevator for 145 units, trash in hallways and a front door latch that doesn’t work causing security issues, they feel the owner needs to take responsibility.
The group Renters of Saskatoon and Area (ROSA) told CTV News there’s no reasonable excuse for such an extreme rent increase. They advise residents to contact the office of residential tenancies as soon as possible to report issues.
While the two tenants are doubtful much will change, they would prefer to not have to go through moving from their homes especially given the shortage of housing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
Residents of northern Alberta First Nation told to shelter in place
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.