‘My bed is cold’: Residents of East York apartment calling for landlord to boost heat

Tenants living in an East York apartment building say they are wearing jackets to bed because the building’s heat isn’t on high enough.

“My bed is cold. My mattress is cold,” resident of 75 Eastdale Avenue Susan Tandrasse said.

They are calling on CAPREIT, the landlord of the building, to boost the temperature during the city’s latest cold spell.

READ MORE: Toronto’s Moss Park armoury to open as winter respite centre Saturday, earlier than scheduled

Environment Canada issued an extreme cold warning for Toronto and most of southern Ontario Thursday, and it is expected to last through to Sunday.

“We should not be freezing our buns off at night and turn our ovens on during the day to keep warm,” Tandrasse said.

“It’s no way to live.”

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Janet Davis, the area’s city councillor, was at the rally on Saturday and told residents she spoke with CAPREIT.

“Landlords have to keep the heat on to keep tenants warm,” she said.

“They’ve committed to increase the heat overall…the other thing they have agreed to is that they will meet with you regularly.”

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Davis said landlords must heat units to a minimum temperature of 21 degrees, according to city bylaw and if landlords don’t comply, tenants can contact 311.

READ MORE: Toronto’s low temperatures break records as deep freeze continues

“The bylaw officer will come out and come to your unit to measure the heat and will issue an order to landlord to provide a heater or to address the overall building temperature,” David said.

In a statement to Global News on Tuesday, CAPREIT said the management company’s heat monitoring system “continues to meet or exceed the City of Toronto by-law that in-suite temperatures are maintained at no less than 21 degrees Celsius.”

The company said they conducted an on-site spot check to determine if the in-suite temperatures met the by-law requirements on Jan. 2 and Jan. 5 and “no issues” were found.

The heat was fully functioning at the time of the protest, which residents said was because the management company found out about the rally.