Tenants hit with illegal rent hike and eviction attempts while landlords lament losing money
Christian Gammon-Roy
Tribune
Several seniors in Sturgeon Falls are facing uncertainty with regards to their housing as the future of rental units along Third, Second and Nipissing Streets, near the SF Golden Age Club (former La Résurrection church), seems up in the air. A total of 16 units, made up of 8 single level duplexes, were built there by S & A Gauvreau Properties Inc. back in 2016, but were since sold to new owners Farley Rentals Inc. in 2022. Things continued as normal with standard yearly rental increases, until 2024 when the landlords sent a letter explaining that the rent would increase by another $200 over the standard 2.5% allowed for 2025. What followed was a series of measures some tenants say were designed to intimidate them, with the bulk of them agreeing to pay the extra fee out of fear of losing their home, and three refusing, leading to eviction attempts and eventually, the threat of selling the units and leaving them all to find another place to live in a difficult market.
While the tenants of 13 units agreed to pay the extra $200, others who pushed back were issued N12 notices to end their tenancy due to the owner wanting to move in. One resident, Guy DeCaen, was served three separate notices in 2024 and 2025. Then, more recently, the units were slated for individual sale, starting with the two who refused to pay the additional fee, which were listed on November 12. The listing was taken down just 24 hours later, after the real estate agent retained by the landlord pulled out.
Anne Marcoux, whose mother-in-law is one of the residents, has some concerns over the legality of the $200 demand, and why those who refused to pay it were served with N12 notices and then were coincidentally the first units to be listed for sale. She says the tenants were first asked verbally for the $200 increase as a fee for snow removal and land maintenance. However, the residents pointed out that these costs were included in their rent as per their lease. Still, she says her mother-in-law, an elderly widower who has recently undergone hip surgery, agreed to pay out of fear of losing her home, and is now very stressed at the idea that her unit could be sold.
Guy DeCaen and his daughter Elizabeth share similar concerns. As DeCaen explains, he was one of the first tenants to move into the units upon their completion in 2016, and the main reason he chose to sell his home and downsize was for the convenience. Elizabeth points out that his old home had many stairs, and sat on an acre of property. It’s a common theme for most of the residents of these units: downsizing to a place more manageable and paying all-inclusive rent so that they didn’t have to worry about repairs, maintenance, and other unforeseen issues. The units were also built with seniors in mind, featuring things like wide doors for easy wheelchair access for anyone with a mobility issue. As far as the DeCaens were concerned, everything about the move gave them peace of mind, and they had hoped to spend all of their retirement years there.
In 2022, the 16 units were sold to Farley Rentals Inc. for $4.2 million, according to real estate records. Documents provided by Marcoux and the DeCaens show the tenants were given N1 forms every year announcing an annual rental increase reflecting the maximum increase allowed by the provincial government based on the inflation rate. After getting their regular increase for 2025, however, the additional $200 was tacked on. Marcoux provided a copy of the notice her mother-in-law received, a letter dated August 8, 2024, which reads that “effective January 1st, 2025, your monthly rent fee will be increased by $200,” bringing her rent to $1,794.85 per month from $1594.85 – a 12.5% hike while the province had authorized only 2.5% for 2025. Marcoux claims that her mother-in-law isn’t the only one who agreed to the increase, as most of the renters decided to pay to avoid conflict with their landlord.
