Rentals Became a Construction Site for Renovicted Tenants

By Joy Keke

Farouk Shaharudin has called Ottawa’s Golden Triangle home for four years. He lives in a walkable, central neighbourhood with his wife and 16-month-old son in an apartment he says he was once proud to call home.

However, since the building at the corner of 17 MacDonald and 53 MacLaren changed ownership to Concorde Properties, life inside those walls has taken a turn for the worse. What was once a peaceful rental has become a construction site, with noise, dust, and a list of safety hazards becoming part of daily life.

“There’s a hole in our wall from some work they did. It’s been there for more than two weeks,” Shaharudin said.

Beyond the repairs, Shaharudin says the landlord has ignored the tenants’ rights, regularly attempting to access units without proper notice.

“They’d send emails saying they need to enter your unit any time this week, which isn’t legal,” he said.

The most serious incident was caused by dust from the construction site that filtered into Shaharudin’s apartment, leaving his infant son struggling to breathe.

“We had to rush him to the emergency room,” Shaharudin said.

These dangerous conditions aren’t unique to Shaharudin’s apartment. Shaharudin reports that Concorde Properties has issued multiple N13 eviction notices to other tenants in the building — a legal notice landlords use when claiming units need to be vacated for renovations.

While tenants have the right to return to the spaces at the same rent, many fear these notices are being used to quietly push out long-time, lower-rent tenants.

“About half the people in this building have left since the new landlord took over,” Shaharudin said.

Paige Nicks, another long-time resident of the building, described the chaos that unfolded shortly after the new owners took over.

“They tried to change our locks, which they’re not allowed to do. Then came eviction threats and even legal notices. It’s been relentless,” Nicks said.

Concorde Properties also began removing balconies without permits, prompting tenants to contact the City of Ottawa. While permits were eventually obtained, Nicks and her neighbours say the experience exposed serious gaps in how tenant protections are enforced.

Nicks says she has since joined the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), a grassroots community group that advocates for low- and moderate-income families, focusing on issues like affordable housing. The tenants established an organizing committee in the building and are working towards systemic reforms, including stronger bylaws against renovictions.

The Residential Tenancies Act — the current law governing landlord-tenant relations in Ontario — has proven insufficient, according to Nicks.

“It feels like it benefits landlords more than tenants. There’s a need for a renovation-specific bylaw in Ottawa to protect people from being pushed out under the guise of upgrades,” she said. There is one renovation-specific bylaw currently in reading.

Despite these challenges, a sense of solidarity has emerged.

“The most beautiful thing that’s come out of this is our community. I don’t think we would’ve had this bond without what’s happened,” Nicks said.

Editor’s Note: Concorde Properties was asked to speak to us but did not respond. While The Leveller staff were taking photos of the building’s exterior, Brandon Tannis, the Construction Manager of Concorde Properties, spoke with us. The Leveller staff provided Tannis with our reason for being present and our newspaper name. Tannis provided The Leveller staff with a false name and denied staff access to their private property or to take photos of the construction, stating he knew we were with the press. Tannis continued to state The Leveller staff were not allowed inside despite being invited by a tenant to their unit.