Tenants in apartment without heat for nearly one year to have 5 months of hydro costs covered
The company which manages a downtown Windsor, Ont. apartment building — where tenants have gone nearly a full year without heat — has promised to cover five months of increased hydro costs for tenants who had to plug in electric heaters to stay warm.
CTV News Windsor spoke with two tenants on Feb. 4 at 524 Pitt St. W. who said heat had stopped coming into their units in March of 2022. Marda Management, which attributes the outage to a faulty boiler, covered tenants’ hydro costs for the first two months of the outage.
According to the tenants, the lack of heat became a non-issue from May to September since the weather became warmer. By October, as the weather started to cool down, the heat still had not been restored and Marda had not offered to provide any further compensation, tenants added.
Instead, Marda provided supplemental heaters but tenants told CTV News Windsor they were inadequate and they were forced to buy electric heaters out-of-pocket to stay warm. One tenant, Jorden Arsenualt, added he would be turning to the Landlord and Tenant Board to recoup 100 per cent of his hydro costs from the full duration of the outage.
Following the story’s publication over the weekend, Marda Management issued a new notice to tenants Monday.
“We realize through this time you may have been using alternative measures to heat your home during this time,” the notice from Marda Management’s Tenant Services Division reads.
“To that end, we ask you to submit hydro bills you have received between October 2022 and February 2023. We will be evaluating each bill and issuing credits accordingly to compensate you for the increased usage expenses you may have incurred due to using alternative heating solutions,” it reads.
In a phone call with CTV News Windsor, Arsenualt said he is happy to see things “moving in the right direction” but he wants further compensation from Marda.
“My tenant board pursuits still likely stand. I still have my [application filing] fee that I paid for … as well as my personal heater that I had to purchase to create any sort of livable environment,” he said.
In a separate notice issued to tenants Wednesday, Marda Management said the boiler needs to cycle for 48 hours to evacuate any trapped air.
That means tenants will need to wait until Friday to find out if heat has been successfully restored to the entire building.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Pedestrian, baby injured after stroller struck and dragged by vehicle in Squamish, B.C.
Police say a baby and a pedestrian suffered non-life-threatening injuries after a vehicle struck a baby stroller and dragged it for two blocks before stopping in Squamish, B.C.
Senate expenses climbed to $7.2 million in 2023, up nearly 30%
Senators in Canada claimed $7.2 million in expenses in 2023, a nearly 30 per cent increase over the previous year.
Demonstrators kicked out of Ontario legislature for disruption after failed keffiyeh vote
A group of demonstrators were kicked out of the legislature after a second NDP motion calling for unanimous consent to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh failed to pass.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
RCMP uncovers alleged plot by 2 Montreal men to illegally sell drones, equipment to Libya
The RCMP says it has uncovered a plot by two men in Montreal to sell Chinese drones and military equipment to Libya illegally.
Government agrees to US$138.7M settlement over FBI's botching of Larry Nassar assault allegations
The U.S. Justice Department announced a US$138.7 million settlement Tuesday with more than 100 people who accused the FBI of grossly mishandling allegations of sexual assault against Larry Nassar in 2015 and 2016, a critical time gap that allowed the sports doctor to continue to prey on victims before his arrest.
Man wanted in connection with deadly shooting in Toronto tops list of most wanted fugitives in Canada
A 35-year-old man wanted in connection with the murder of Toronto resident 29-year-old Sharmar Powell-Flowers nine months ago has topped the list of the BOLO program’s 25 most wanted fugitives across Canada, police announced Tuesday.
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Pro-Palestinian protests roiling U.S. colleges escalate with arrests, new encampments and closures
The student protests of Israel's war with Hamas that have been creating friction at U.S. universities escalated Tuesday as new encampments sprouted and some colleges encouraged students to stay home and learn online, after dozens of arrests across the country.