Toronto tenants, landlord reach agreement after lengthy rent dispute, eviction threat

TORONTO — Tenants at three buildings in Toronto’s east end who had been staring down eviction notices have reached an agreement with their landlord to end a public battle that lasted more than two years, both parties said.

In May 2023, around 100 residents of 71, 75 and 79 Thorncliffe Park Drive in East York stopped paying rent to protest what they said were deteriorating building conditions amid a rent hike.

The landlord, Starlight Investments, and renters said this week they have reached an “amicable” deal without providing further details because the terms of the agreement are confidential. The tenants are no longer withholding rent, they said.

Philip Zigman, a tenant organizer who worked with the Thorncliffe Park Drive residents, said the fact that they got an acceptable agreement “