Dozens of tenants at a notorious East York apartment building are seeking action from their landlord, demanding rent refunds as they continue to struggle with a building that they say is falling apart.
Tenants at the building located at 500 Dawes Road say they have been dealing with rodent infestation, crumbling ceilings and balconies that are falling apart for years. Now, with the assistance of lawyers, tenants are taking collective action, filing two multi-tenant applications against their landlord with the Landlord and Tenant Board.
“We’re looking to get about 40 to 60 per cent of the rent that the tenants have paid for the past year refunded to them, as well as a 40 to 60 per cent abatement going forward. And we’re also seeking damages, among a few other things,” said Ryan Endoh, who has been leading the tenant charge and sounding the alarm about the building to city officials.
City officials have issued multiple fines against property owner Carolyn Kreb, who has received more than 80 property violation orders over the last decade. But the problems persist.
“There are 84 orders outstanding with thousands of violations contained within those orders,” says former City Councillor Janet Davis.
This past summer, Mayor Olivia Chow met with tenants and toured the building to see firsthand what was happening. She pledged to take what’s known as remedial action, where the city would hire contractors to fix the issues with the expense added to the landlord’s property taxes. Endoh says they were supposed to get an update on that by the end of the year, but now that’s been pushed to 2026.
“It’s difficult. It puts tenants in a very difficult position. We’re doing what we can,” said Endoh. “There’s clearly a disconnect between policy and implementation.”
Chow previously said city staff would be tasked with informing councillors on how to best legally enforce remedial action.
“I hope and trust that when this next report comes back, there will be teeth in this remedial action and that these housing problems can get fixed and that the cost will go onto the taxes on this and other bad landlords in the City of Toronto,” said Davis.
CityNews attempted to reach out to the property owner but was not able to connect with her.
Tenants say it could be up to a year before their case is heard at the Landlord and Tenant Board.
