Tenants in a Montreal apartment complex called Le Plateau dropped banners on November 26 from the balconies of many units in protest of the apparent failure of negotiations between the building's owners, Cromwell Management Inc., and the 14 remaining tenants in the building, according to a recent press release from the Montreal Autonomous Tenants' Union (SLAM).
Negotiations had begun between the remaining tenants and Cromwell Management, but Cromwell's representatives "walked out after less than ten minutes of discussion," SLAM wrote in the release.
The union claims that over 100 tenants have had to move out of the building due to "renovictions:" a process by which landlords renovate units and lease them at higher rates.*
The 14 remaining tenants say that they have been "left without heat" as winter approaches, despite what SLAM calls "months of advocating for liveable housing."
Banners hang from many balconies of the Le Plateau apartment building.Aaron Bauman | @bauman.aaron
Banners hung by the remaining tenants, alongside members of SLAM, read "Renovicted by Cromwell," "I'm staying!" "Construction Hell" and "Mon quartier j'y suis j'y reste," a popular French housing advocacy slogan meaning "My neighbourhood, I'm here and I'm staying."
SLAM also says they handed out flyers informing the public of what Le Plateau's tenants have been experiencing, including "continual dismissal of tenants' demands."
The tenants from Le Plateau are hoping to receive "compensation, rent reductions, heating, transparent and consensual construction work," according to SLAM. They also want the newly renovated units to stay affordable.
A CBC report from 2013 suggests Cromwell Management has a history of purchasing properties and increasing rents.*
Cromwell Management has not yet responded to MTL Blog's request for comment.
*This article has been updated.