Scarborough
Ranee Management
Goodwood Park and Fountainhead Road are owned by Ben and Phyllis Friedman of the Ranee Management family dynasty. Goodwood is a neighbourhood of low-rises near Victoria Park station, Fountainhead consists of four high-rises near Jane and Finch. Ranee has expected tenants to pay full rent by any means necessary. In exceptional circumstances, they offered deferment “deals” such as 80% now with the rest tacked-on to the next 3 months rent. Rent increases, including two AGIs in Goodwood, were pursued without pause – and have been the last straw for tenants. Immigrant families, international students and multi-generational Canadians are flooding to outdoor meetings to join an indefinite Rent Strike now entering its second month.
“We are prepared to hold our rent until the landlord is prepared to enter collective negotiation with tenants around rent during COVID. This is a just and reasonable demand, and one worth months of struggle to achieve.”
Edie Neuberger
The buildings at 419 and 421 Markham Rd. have seen dozens of organized tenants withhold rent throughout much of April and May. Tenants delivered a letter demanding that the landlord stop making eviction threats and stop trying to collect rent or force people into repayment schemes.
“In our first action, we declared a tenant union and organized ourselves to clean up the parking lots and green areas around the filthy properties of the landlord Edie Neuberger. Managers threatened tenants with the police for cleaning up the community. After that more tenants from multiple other Neuberger high rises across Toronto have joined Keep Your Rent.”
CAPREIT
Tenants only recently started organizing in 215 and 225 Markham Rd. On its website, CAPREIT said it would halt rent hikes “for the foreseeable future” but in reality tenants are receiving AGI notices for as much as 5% scheduled to go into effect as early as September 2020.
“We have also started organizing against paying rent during the lockdown. It was important that we organize together on our own terms.”
Pinedale
In Crescent Town, tenants have been on rent strike since April 1st. Tenants have organized in WhatsApp chats which have grown to over 500 people. The actions are led by committees with captains and strikers on every floor. In April, rent strikers were faced with harassing phone calls, N4s and the infamous scene of the property manager going door-to-door with a debit machine.
“Publicly exposing this harassment and withholding hundreds of thousands of dollars in rent have forced Pinedale to change its tune in May. However, with our basic demand of negotiating rent relief and an end to rent increases not met, CT residents are prepared for another month of holding rent and applying every form of pressure possible on the corporate landlord that has disrespected and profited off them for years.”
