A tenant named Melissa Gudgeon, along with six other tenants, have won their case at a provincial tribunal against their landlord, Beni Colalillo. The tenants were facing renoviction from their apartment building at 2322 King St. E. in Hamilton, where they alleged that Colalillo was flipping empty units for short-term rentals. The Landlord and Tenant Board adjudicator dismissed the renoviction request, stating that the landlord’s building permit only included minor repairs and that no contractors were called as witnesses to support the claims of extensive renovations. Gudgeon’s unit still has outstanding issues, including a leaky window and black mold, while she is paying higher rent due to recent above-guideline increases to cover common area upgrades. The decision is significant as it reinforces the requirement for landlords to have a building permit detailing major repairs and renovations when evicting tenants.
