Tenants facing displacement from B.C. apartment say renoviction protections not working – BC [Video]

A group of tenants being displaced from an affordable rental apartment building outside of Victoria say they’re being renovicted and are getting little help from new B.C. laws meant to protect against the practice.

Residents of the 30 units in the Sturdee apartments in Esquimalt have been ordered to move out by September so the building’s new owner can do renovations and repairs.

The property was purchased by Sturdee Investments, a company run by developer Andrew Rebeyka, in August 2023.

About half of them have accepted a $5,000 buyout from the landlord that also ends their right to contest the evictions.

“We need buildings like this, affordable,” said Ilene Koculyn, a tenant of 13 years who currently pays about $830 a month and is on a pension.

“Affordable is not $2,000 a month for a bachelor, and not $2,500 a month for a one-bedroom. That’s not affordable, that’s ridiculous.”

Under B.C. legislation updated in 2021, …