An organization representing tenants across Toronto has just released the results of a survey it conducted earlier this month to see how landlords have been treating their renters amid the financial strains of the pandemic.
The Federation of Metro Tenants' Associations (FMTA)'s COVID Landord Survey asked hundreds of Toronto residents questions like whether they've faced threats of eviction or how their landlord has reacted to potential non-payment of rent.
And, some of the results don't paint the city's landlord's in the best light.
For one thing, a whole half of participants said their landlord has failed to implement any new sanitization procedures, such as offering hand sanitizer in public areas of their building.
And, 72 per cent said that those managing their rental property never shut down things like the fitness room over the course of the COVID-19 outbreak despite the risks to tenant safety.
Also, 40 per cent said that their landlord has still been entering the unit to conduct inspections, or even to show it to prospective renters, despite the fact that things like real estate open houses have largely been called off during COVID-19, with relevant associations asking realtors to cease all in-person business operations.
The FTMA also found that despite the fact that Doug Ford instated a province-wide moratorium on residential evictions back in March, more than one fifth of those surveyed said their landlord has threatened them or other tenants with eviction for not being able to pay their rent in recent months.
And, more than half of tenants — 54 per cent — said that their landlord has not been working with those residents who haven't been able to make rent because of job loss and other hardships that the coronavirus has presented.
Most landlords (65 per cent) are also still doling out rent increases despite the global economic recession.
FMTA survey shows 1 in 5 #Toronto tenants have landlords threatening eviction during #COVID19.#NoCovidEvictions pic.twitter.com/R4cgRC5CO5
— Keep Your Rent Toronto (@KeepYourRent) June 29, 2020
Despite the mess that this year has been for renters, rent prices in Toronto are at least decreasing for many for the first time in what feels like forever.
Meanwhile Bill 184, which could be harmful for tenants for a number of reasons, is still on the table for the province, and the province's Landlord Tenant Board is struggling with its own issues during an influx of cases while severely understaffed.
by Becky Robertson via blogTO
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