Olivia Chow promises task force targeting neglectful Toronto landlords with $2.15M annual budget
Bad Landlords Task Force will conduct proactive inspections and pursue court orders. Chow announced plan Friday using East York building as model.
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Toronto mayoral candidate Olivia Chow announced Friday a proposed Bad Landlords Task Force aimed at proactively targeting apartment buildings with repeated housing violations.
The task force would combine enforcement officers and lawyers to conduct proactive inspections, pursue court orders for repairs, and take action against landlords who repeatedly fail to maintain properties. Chow said that if a landlord owns even one problem building, the city will take action in every building in that landlord's portfolio.
The initiative would be funded through RentSafeTO fees and fines paid by landlords found in violation.
Chow used 500 Dawes Road in East York as the model for her proposal. The 14-storey apartment building has been plagued by tenant complaints including mold, pests, deteriorating infrastructure, crumbling walls, moisture, and unsafe balconies. Tenants reported keeping clothing in plastic bags due to pest infestations. The city conducted approximately $200,000 in repairs at the building and billed the landlord. The building is owned by Carolyn Krebs, who also owns 608 Dawes Road. Krebs was sentenced to 15 days in custody and ordered to pay a $120,000 fine in May for fire safety violations at 608 Dawes.
"Half of Torontonians rent their homes, they deserve safe and healthy places to live," Chow said. "There are too many slumlords who won't do the basics, they've been getting away with it for too long."
Rival mayoral candidate Brad Bradford, councillor for Ward 19, criticized Chow's framing of the proposal. "Every tool the Mayor used at 500 Dawes this spring was on the shelf the day she was sworn in," Bradford said, noting that his own office had pushed for further enforcement at the building and explored options including potential city acquisition or expropriation.
Ryan Endoh, a tenant at 500 Dawes, said Bradford "was not interested in working with us" but that former councillor Janet Davis had accomplished meaningful work on the building. Endoh said Chow visited tenants.
How many buildings in Toronto are currently flagged for repeated code violations?
What legal mechanisms exist to prevent landlords from transferring problem properties to new owners to evade enforcement?
We'll update this story as answers emerge.
The facts
How much would the Bad Landlords Task Force cost annually?
$2.15 million per year, funded through RentSafeTO fees and fines collected from landlords found in violation.
What problems have tenants reported at 500 Dawes Road in East York?
Tenants at the 14-storey building have complained of mold, pests, deteriorating infrastructure, crumbling walls, moisture, and unsafe balconies. Some kept clothing in plastic bags due to pest infestations.
What enforcement actions were taken against the owner of 608 Dawes Road?
Carolyn Krebs, who owns 608 Dawes Road, was sentenced to 15 days in custody and ordered to pay a $120,000 fine in May for fire safety violations at the building.
