Apartment building without heat has Windsor, Ont. senior scared

A senior says he’s scared for his health as his apartment remains without heat while temperatures continue to drop.

65-year-old Peter Werner has lived inside the apartment building at 1616 Ouellette Avenue for about two years.

So far this fall, no heat has come on in his or any of the other units in the building — leading to some very cold nights.

“I had a hoodie on and another pullover last night,” Werner describes. “Then, early this morning around one o'clock, I put my winter coat on and just laid down. It was so cold in here.”

According to City of Windsor by-laws, landlords need to turn the heat on by Sept. 15.

The multi-unit building at 1616 Ouellette Avenue in Windsor, Ont. has no heat, despite city by-law requiring landlords turn it on on Sept. 15. (Travis Fortnum/CTV News Windsor)

A city hall spokesperson says building inspectors are aware of that not being the case at 1616 Ouellette, and that there are two active by-law enforcement files for the property issued on Oct. 20 -- one building condition violation and one for violation of the city’s Vital Services By-law for not having heat.

Werner says he’s already in poor health and is left worrying how the cold might make it worse.

“I’m a fighter for everything but I don’t know how my lungs are going to fight for this,” he says. “Will I wake up in the morning or are my lungs going to give out on me?”

CTV News Windsor connected with one of the property’s new co-owners, Sonia Kumar, who took possession of the multi-residential complex with a partner on Sept. 15.

She says they were not aware the building was in such a state of neglect when they purchased it, having discovered a number of issues — including the heat.

Kumar says among the issues plaguing the property, the need for roof repairs before winter. She says two experts have come to look at the boiler, with a third coming this weekend.

Kumar says she hopes to provide an update for tenants on Monday.

In the meantime, Werner and his neighbours are bundled up and frustrated.

“I’m not paying a dime [in rent] until we get the heat back on,” he says.