Foundry Georgian fined nearly $70,000 for tenant violations

WCPT Georgian Inc., doing business as Foundry Georgian and Arcadian Students in Barrie, has been fined nearly $70,000 after pleading guilty to violating Ontario’s Residential Tenancies Act.

Justice of the Peace Derek Friend fined the Foundry $55,000 — plus a 25 per cent victim surcharge of $13,875 — under the Provincial Offenses Act.

The Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing has released information on convictions as of June 20, 2024.

The defendant landlord, WCPT Georgian, is the owner of residential rental apartment buildings at 310 Georgian Dr., which also includes several houses next to Royal Victoria Regional Health Care (RVH).

Between May 25, 2022 and September 1, 2023, the offenses tampered with or caused to be tampered with locking systems on front doors giving entry to the rental units, interfering with the tenants’ reasonable enjoyment of the rental units, charging illegal fees and failure to provide a rent receipt.

The Foundry residences house both Georgian College students and non-students, but college officials said it is not directly affiliated with the school.

Between June 2022 and February 2023, WCPT Georgian charged tenants illegal administrative and legal fees totaling more than $3,800. These fees had not been ordered by the Landlord and Tenant Board.

Between August and September 2022, the landlord also altered or knowingly caused to be altered the locking systems on the front doors leading into the rental units without providing replacement keys to the tenants.

The landlord subsequently failed to provide the tenant with a rent receipt when requested. If a tenant or former tenant asks the landlord for a rent receipt, section 109 of the Residential Tenancies Act requires the landlord to provide the receipt free of charge.

The landlord’s conduct amounted to an interference with the tenants’ reasonable enjoyment of the rental units.

Before pleading guilty, WCPT Georgian canceled the illegal charges and produced a rent receipt for the tenant at the request of the Rental Housing Enforcement Unit.