Landlord withdraws rent increase after tenant strike at Toronto apartment: organizers

Tenant organizers in Toronto have successfully prevented a landlord's attempt to retroactively raise rents by over five percent at a building on 75 Spencer Avenue. In March, tenants at the property began withholding rent payments after the landlord's property manager applied for an above guideline rent increase, or AGI. The maximum allowable increase for rent-controlled buildings in Ontario is 2.5 percent in 2025, but landlords can apply for AGIs to fund renovations and building improvements.

Tenants at the building in Toronto's Parkdale neighbourhood argued that the renovations did not directly improve their living conditions and that a 5.4 percent increase in their housing costs would be unaffordable. The landlord, Metcap Living, has withdrawn the application following six months of the rent strike. Organizers say the building was sold to a new owner in May and tenants traveled to Montreal last weekend to confront them over the rent increase.