Tenants complain landlords are forcing them to remove window air conditioners
Some landlords are banning the use of window air conditioners following the death of a toddler in Toronto a year and a half ago.
But some tenants say without window air conditioning their apartments can be unbearably hot in the summer and they feel they should have the right to use one.
“Right now I am so very hot. I'm inside all day during the pandemic and I have had a stroke and I use a walker and I cannot go out," said Maria De Lourdes Morales, a tenant in an Etobicoke apartment building.
Morales said she can usually keep cool with a window air conditioner, but this year her landlord told her she was no longer allowed to use one.
Morales said she has health issues and fans won't keep her cool.
“It’s been so hot I don’t know how I will survive,” said Morales.
Her building is a Minto Apartment property.
When CTV News Toronto reached out to the company George Van Noten, Chief Operating Officer of Minto Properties issued this statement.
“Minto informed tenants late last year that only AC units placed within suite designed sleeves or floor units, vented to exterior would be permitted,” a statement said.
“This followed a tragic accident involving a window AC unit at a City of Toronto housing complex and subsequent changes to Toronto’s municipal code. Tenants are permitted to install window AC units in their apartments, and the building in question has sleeves installed safely so residents can do so.”
An air conditioner toppled out of a window in a Scarborough apartment building killing two-year-old Crystal Mirgho in November 2019.
Minto said in a letter to tenants that no window units are allowed unless they're over a balcony. They recommend tenants buy floor standing air conditioning units that retail for about $400 each.
Geordie Dent, the Executive Director of the Federation of Metro Tenants’ Associations, said his group is getting many complaints from tenants who are being told they can’t use window air conditioners.
“Landlords are sending out thousands of notices to tenants telling them they can't have air conditioning units or window air conditioning units and that's not true," said Dent.
Dent said there is no Toronto by-law that says tenants cannot use window air conditioners and he says as long as they are safely installed and maintained tenants should be allowed to use them.
“It's incredibly dangerous right now, you've got millions of people sitting at home and it's brutally hot and if you tell people they can't have air conditioning people are going to die," said Dent.
Van Noten also told CTV News Toronto “Our tenant does have AC in her living room, however we understand her concerns and have one spare floor mount unit available. We are currently working with her to install it in her bedroom as a courtesy. As always, the health and safety of our tenants is top priority.”
Morales said she won’t be able to get through the summer without some type of air conditioning.
"i need somebody's help to do the air conditioning, to do something. It's so hot now and we are not allowed to go anywhere" said Morales.
CTV News also contacted Toronto 311 which provides information to Toronto residents and we were told you are allowed to have a window air conditioner as long as it's installed in a safe and secure manner.
Anyone who is told they cannot have a window unit is advised to check the details of their lease.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Israel gave U.S. last-minute warning about drone attack on Iran, Italian foreign minister says at G7
The United States told the Group of Seven foreign ministers on Friday that it received 'last minute' information from Israel about a drone action in Iran, but didn't participate in the apparent attack, officials said.
NEW After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
'It was all my savings': Ontario woman loses $15K to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
Families to receive Canada Child Benefit payment on Friday
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.
After COVID, WHO defines disease spread 'through air'
The World Health Organization and around 500 experts have agreed for the first time on what it means for a disease to spread through the air, in a bid to avoid the confusion early in the COVID-19 pandemic that some scientists have said cost lives.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
DEVELOPING G7 warns of new sanctions against Iran as world reacts to apparent Israeli drone attack
Group of Seven foreign ministers warned of new sanctions against Iran on Friday for its drone and missile attack on Israel, and urged both sides to avoid an escalation of the conflict.
BREAKING Iran fires at apparent Israeli attack drones near Isfahan air base and nuclear site
An apparent Israeli drone attack on Iran saw troops fire air defences at a major air base and a nuclear site early Friday morning near the central city of Isfahan, an assault coming in retaliation for Tehran's unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country.
Ottawa to force banks to call carbon rebate a carbon rebate in direct deposits
Canadian banks that refuse to identify the carbon rebate by name when doing direct deposits are forcing the government to change the law to make them do it, says Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault.