Landlords of 275 Hamilton-area buildings have applied for above-guideline rent hikes since 2017
CBC
Newly released data from Ontario's rental housing tribunal analyzed by CBC News shows landlords of 275 properties in Hamilton, Burlington, Niagara Region and nearby areas applied to raise rents above provincial guidelines (AGI) from 2017 to 2022.
CBC's analysis of the data found that in 2022, 28 of the 32 applications in the Hamilton region could be traced back to 19 corporate landlords. While the Ontario Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) data shows the number of applications filed between 2017 and 2021, it did not provide landlord information for those years.
The data CBC analyzed enumerates each AGI filed to the LTB between January and August 2022.
It was obtained through an access to information request, initially submitted and exclusively shared with CBC News by the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), a community union of low- and moderate-income people.
Since 2017, rental prices have risen sharply amid Ontario's housing crisis.
Hamilton's rental market has seen the average listing price across the city grow from $1,681 in 2019 to $2,212 in 2023, according to data from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and Zumper. The average is based on units of all sizes.
Use the map below and zoom in or click to see which addresses applied for above-guideline rent hikes from 2017 to 2022
Lulu Xi, 23, used to live in a Hamilton highrise on 125 Wellington St. N., owned by Equiton.
She says she moved out because of deteriorating living conditions that went unaddressed, ranging from flooding to managers entering units without notice to dealing with mice, cockroaches and bed bug infestations — all the while being asked to pay $400 for an above-guideline rent increase that hadn't been approved by the LTB.
"It enrages me … it's hard enough to afford rent at this point," Xi told CBC Hamilton, adding that she has two matters before the LTB related to her time there.
"I'm just happy to be out of there."
Equiton spokesperson Kathy Gjamovska said the company applied for the increase to "help support the ongoing work required to improve the resident experience."
She said the Equiton was "aware of numerous deferred maintenance issues" when it acquired the building in 2021.
Gjamovska said the company has notified residents of the rent increase application to give them time to save up for the potential hike, ask questions or discuss their personal situation with a resident manager. She also said they are not expected to pay additional rent before its approval.
