Calgary tenants say rent raised amidst 'horrific' living conditions

Residents in a Beltline apartment building don’t think it’s fair their landlord raised rents while the building is undergoing some massive renovations.

Residents in a Beltline apartment building don’t think it’s fair their landlord raised rents while the building is undergoing some massive renovations.

The outside of Panorama Court along 15 Avenue near 6 Street SW has been wrapped in scaffolding since last fall, which has lead to sweltering conditions in the summer heat, as there’s little to no room for airflow off people’s balconies.

Stephanie Haynes, who helped to organize a protest outside the building Thursday, says she and other tenants are picketing against the building’s sweltering heat, ongoing, loud building construction, and increases to rent.

In a message announcing the protest, organizers called their living conditions “horrific.”

Haynes was part of the group that started a tenant union at Panorama Court as a way to raise concerns with the landlord.

She says recently, her rent went up 30 per cent.

“What we’re looking for is our rent to return pre-construction rates for the duration of the project,” she said. “We also want rental rebates for this period of time we’ve payed the rental increase.”

The organizer adds that someone in her building is dealing with a $600/month increase to their rent.

Haynes says the landlord has provided air conditioners for some tenants to deal with the heat vacuum, but not all.

The building owner GWL Realty Advisors says that the building renovations are unrelated to the rent going up, and that it has been increased “to better align with market rates.”

The owners say security to the building was also increased.

The company says the “significant work” being done to the building was to address the structural integrity of the building envelop.