People who live in several older apartment buildings in the north end of Dartmouth, North Carolina, say they are being thrown out now that the owner has sold the properties.
Although the ban on so-called “renovations” was lifted in March, property owners say the current restrictions are forcing them out of business and they will happen more and more.
Tenant Corena Hyles has lived in the one-bedroom apartment for the past eight months and received the news in a note from the landlord.
“If you find this letter tucked under your door or taped to your door, it means I’ve been to your apartment and you haven’t been home,” the note read.
“I regret that I missed seeing you as I wanted to deliver this delicate news to you in person,” the note continued, explaining that the buildings have been sold and major renovations will begin on September 30.
“This means that unfortunately your leases will not be renewed and you will have to move,” the letter said.
“Well, what went through my mind was, ‘I’m screwed,'” Hyles said.
“And I got the notice the day after I got home from my father’s funeral.”
There is also uncertainty for Adam Weinacht, who lost both legs to diabetes.
A social worker tries to find a new place for Weinacht and his wife, but there is not much money in the budget.
“Right now it’s $750 for us to live here. If we move back, it could be anywhere from $900 to over a thousand dollars,” Weinacht said.
There is also no doubt that both buildings have seen better days.
A city inspection on July 11 found eight violations in just one block:
- Broken planks on exterior deck outside unit;
- A door serving the unit was not secured to the frame;
- A tub in the unit was missing enamel;
- Smoke alarms in the unit should be cleaned and tested to ensure they are in good working order;
- The front concrete stairs were damaged, with chunks of concrete missing;
- The security door’s self-closing device was not working;
- The tub faucet in the unit was running; and,
- Pest concerns in the unit
“The property owner must address the violations noted,” HRM Public Affairs Counsel Clara Needler said in an email to CTV News.
“Please note that this is an active file and Building Standards is currently communicating with the property owner,” Needler said.
The owner declined to speak on camera to CTV News, but said he has worked hard to fix everything that was brought to his attention.
He adds that all the tenants have short-term leases, and with a signed offer on the table, he hopes to sell the buildings and retire.
“There’s no winner in this and it’s very tragic,” said Kevin Russell, executive director of the Investment Property Owners Association of Nova Scotia (IPOANS), a group that speaks on behalf of the owners of more than 50,000 units in Nova Scotia.
Although the province lifted its ban on “renewals,” new rules have been put in place to prevent that, along with a 2 percent rent cap that remains in place for another 16 months.
“We’re in a period of high inflation where operating costs are higher and 2 percent rent isn’t cutting it anymore,” Russell says.
“And now (the owners) find themselves in negative cash flow, so it’s very stressful for them. They have no alternative but to sell their business.”
Back at Dartmouth, Hyles knows he has just under two months to leave home. She says she will take her clothes but little else.
“And I want compensation for that. I think everyone in this building should be entitled to some sort of compensation.”
A high price, she says, for reasonable rent in an increasingly unreasonable rental market.
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