Residents at a London, Ont., apartment complex report they’ve been without hot water for 12 consecutive days, and property management hasn’t provided any updates on when it might be repaired.
The hot water at 756 Kipps Lane was functional for just one day nearly two weeks ago but quickly broke down again after already being out for about five days, as per Richard Gillespie, who has lived there since June.
“It’s just frustrating,” he said. “You wake up, you start your day, you’d love to have a shower before you go to work.”
“You can hop into an ice shower if you’re feeling up for it, but sometimes it’s not the most comfortable thing.”
Richard Gillespie, a tenant at 756 Kipps Lane, says it’s been frustrating to live without hot water for such a long period of time. (Submitted by Richard Gillespie)
Gillespie mentioned he’s had to boil water in pots and bring it to the bathroom so he can wash in the sink. Doing the dishes has been equally challenging.
SIREG Management, which owns the building, issued a written notice on July 27 apologizing for the inconvenience and informing residents that they need more time to fix the hot water system “due to the complexity of the repair.”
reached out to SIREG on Tuesday for more details regarding the ongoing problem but did not receive a response before publication.
The property owners posted a notice on July 27, apologizing to tenants for the hot water issues, but offering no timeline for when it might get fixed. (Submitted by Richard Gillespie)
Hot water is considered an essential service under City of London bylaws, and landlords must maintain proper functioning plumbing and hot water systems in their buildings.
Municipal law enforcement officials have received complaints about this building and are collaborating with the property manager, according to a statement from London’s municipal compliance office.
“This remains an active and ongoing matter,” the statement said. “Staff continue to work with property management, which has been cooperative, to have the issue addressed and restore adequate hot water service for affected residents.”
Gillespie said he’s “just hoping for a timeline” about when they’ll have hot water back.
Poor maintenance is a common concern, says ACORN
More than 12 days without something as necessary as hot water is “a little bit extreme,” said Jordan Smith, chair of ACORN London’s East Adelaide Chapter.
However, Smith noted that such service disruptions aren’t uncommon in that Kipps Lane complex where he used to live.
This year alone, residents in another building owned by SIREG complained about prolonged elevator outages that forced elderly tenants and those with disabilities to climb up as many as eight flights of stairs.
Corporate landlords skimping on maintenance or only doing minimal repairs is becoming increasingly prevalent according to Smith’s observations; this practice lowers quality of life for many renters.
“There are so many cases of this; this isn’t happening in just a few isolated areas,” he remarked. “This is happening at scale.”
Smith stated while city bylaws should theoretically mean consequences for property owners who turn off or neglect vital services over extended periods of time; it can be tough since it relies on tenants knowing their rights gathering evidence and submitting complaints.
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