In Halifax, a group of tenants is banding together to combat what they describe as unjust eviction attempts by their landlord. Late last year, residents in several small apartment buildings received termination letters from PreCor Property Management, their new landlord, with no explanations provided. Amanda Rose, who has lived in her one-bedroom apartment in the north end for nearly six years, felt the letters were aimed at long-term tenants paying lower rents. "It seemed targeted," Rose said. "It seemed like it was targeted toward the tenants who had been here the longest and were paying the lowest rent amount."

After discovering that four other tenants in her eight-unit building received similar letters, Rose reached out to residents in four other buildings owned by PreCor. They began sharing information and support through an email chain, focusing on their precarious housing situations. Some tenants challenged the legality of the eviction notices, which were subsequently withdrawn by the landlord. However, renoviction attempts soon followed.

Six months later, Rose is still fighting her renoviction. A residential tenancy officer ruled in her favor in May, stating that the renoviction did not appear to be in good faith. However, her landlord has appealed the decision to small claims court, with a new hearing scheduled for the coming months. "Fighting these renovictions, it's not only something that I'm doing because it's in my best interest and it allows me to have that safe, stable, secure housing, but it also is to protect the right to housing for all of my neighbors, too," Rose explained.

Sydnee Blum, a community legal worker with Dalhousie Legal Aid Service, is representing one of the tenants in the appeal. She estimates that up to 24 tenants across PreCor's buildings are affected. "When it's happening to multiple buildings at a time, this is, to us, part of a systematized effort to evict long-term tenants, do cosmetic upgrades on a building and then rent them for higher rents," Blum said. "And this is what we see in the classic renoviction, or flipping of apartment buildings."

Mitchell Hollohan, the director and president of PreCor Property Management, owns at least 21 properties in Halifax. He did not respond to requests for comment regarding the evictions or the condition of the buildings slated for renovations. In February, Hollohan approached some tenants, asking them to sign agreements to end their tenancies for renovations, citing an environmental assessment that allegedly found asbestos in the building. He offered compensation required by the Nova Scotia government, plus additional funds.

Rose, who pays just over $1,000 monthly for her unit, declined to sign the agreement, fearing she would not find a comparable rental. She requested a copy of the asbestos report and building permits but has yet to receive them. "I've been living here for six years, the building has had lots of renovations done throughout that time," she said. "Never once was asbestos mentioned to us in that time."

After paying $425 for independent asbestos testing, Rose received a report indicating no asbestos was found. The actions of PreCor appear to be an attempt to displace lower-paying tenants, make cosmetic upgrades, and subsequently re-rent the units at higher rates, according to residential tenancy officer Lori Prest.

The tenants are now awaiting the appeal hearing, which is expected in the coming months. Data from Nova Scotia's Residential Tenancy Program indicates that while renovictions are becoming less common, they still occur. The program only counts renovictions if a hearing is applied for, not if tenants agree to leave. In 2024, there have been 19 applications for renoviction hearings, a decrease from previous years.

However, Blum argues that renovictions remain prevalent, often unreported. "It doesn't capture tenants who are just agreeing to leave. And then it doesn't capture tenants who are on fixed-term leases that are terminated, or who are given illegitimate eviction notices and don't know that they can fight that," she said.

Rebecca Hartery, another tenant in a PreCor building, has also contested an eviction letter. She remains vigilant, checking daily for building permits, fearing further eviction attempts. "It feels really frustrating, but it also feels really motivating to make sure that people know their tenant rights and to talk to the people that you live with," Hartery said.

As the situation unfolds, these Halifax tenants continue to advocate for their rights and seek stability in their housing.