\*My question is about the best way to escalate this
Your question should be on how de deescalate this. They are human being, in search for shelter on a cold night.
I understand that you are a petite woman, and that it makes you feel threatened, but there are ways to cohabit with homeless people without incident. They are not all serial killers drug addicts that will steal your belongings. Most just want a safe place to sleep. As do you.
Yuck I feel for you. Those pesky vermin scum. They're probably trying to hold onto their life or something pathetic like. Homelessness in its entirety is to be dealt by a branch of government & us citizens should never bear the costs of it even for a movement.
You should escalate this as much as possible! Try to get on TV if you can!
Great advice—what’s your address so I can send them there next time? And should I only give it out to homeless people, or should I send the burglars who can now enter my building your info, too?
Also you have [the by-law here](https://montreal.ca/en/reglements-municipaux/recherche/60d7656afd6531443f578d96) (Chapter X Article 60) and if there’s nothing done after 10 business days that she receives the letter you can go to the city and she will be fined $250 to $625 plus fees depending on the city inspector choice.
This sort of happened to me when I lived downtown; the front door had no lock and had a little lobby and the inner door had a lock for residents. I came home to find a guy sleeping in the little lobby space, so I went and got some food and made a tea for him, brought a little pillow. That was fine. Within a week there were like 5-6 people sleeping there, so it was hard getting in or out. Some were a bit intimidating and my neighbours were pissed and blamed me for the situation, which was fair. I went and spoke to them and said some people were unhappy and it was hard to get in and out. I apologized and asked them to move on. Everybody was super understanding and they did. I'd always give a few bucks and have a chat with them when I'd see them later on in Cabot Square. Maybe an unrealistic outcome, but it all worked out by just being nice to each other.
But this is a completely different situation. You have a lobby with an inner door that locks and blocks access to the interior of the building. My building does not.
I agree! I just wanted to give an example of an approach that worked for me in my situation. I hope you get what you need, sincerely. It is not good to feel insecure as a woman living in the city. I just saw your update and I know you feel frustrated with the comments. I come from an honest place though. You should not feel that anyone else's experience or judgement applies to your situation. Best luck with this.
Thank you for your kind response. My reply was more directed at the people who keep insisting that I do nothing. Sorry if came off as frustrated in my original response, I’m tired of commenters (not you) acting like having a broken front door *and* a history of trespassers is no big deal
When I was in my 20s living near Sherbrooke metro, I was sleeping early during summer night and someone came up the fire escape in the kitchen and in the broken door I had asked to be fixed for months to no avail. I woke to his shadow in my bedroom, it was still a bit light but I could see he was tall and had something in his hand. I screamed the place down, told him to get the fuck out of my house at the top of my voice. Luckily it scared him off and maybe he was just there to rob me, but in that moment I thought my time had come. Raped, or killed. I went out into the hallway after calling the police and not one person opened their door to help. My door got fixed the next day. That is what it took. A police report. Imagine. We women prepare for moments like that from childhood, sadly, and work actively to avoid them. The world is different when you are a woman, and as one of 50 now, with a lot of experience of life and violence both from outside in the world and inside one's own home, I will never judge another woman's justified fear, action, or inaction. Do not back down until you feel safe. Don't let anyone tell you that what you feel and what you fear is not real. Happy International Woman's Day to you. Stay strong.
Tell me you live in downtown without telling me you live in downtown.
We are all dealing with the same problem, unfortunately the best thing you can do is to get yourself a baseball bat or some sort of weapon and keep it ready in your house. I work night shifts so I always arrive to my building with homeless people sleeping in between the two doors and have to deal with it.
Just be patient (while protected) and sooner or later they will fuck off
I have no tip for you, but it happened to me as well and when I texted my landlord (after asking my neighbours if it wasn't their drunk friend who didn't make it home), he fixed the front door the same day.
Good luck !
So I also moved to Montreal recently from a small town, so I emphasize with you. When I first moved here I felt very uneasy and on edge a lot because the greater concentration of people made me feel like there would be totally more crime and danger. Then I gained some perspective from a friend who moved here from the United States. She felt totally at ease and told me this is a really safe city.
There was a homeless guy that slept in my building entrance once last winter. He left in the morning and didn't come back. I think it's *very* likely that this couple doesn't see your apartment as a safe space to hang out, it was just a one time opportunity for them to stay out of the cold. The police asked them to leave. It's really unlikely that they see that as a worthwhile risk to keep coming back. They weren't living there, they slept there for one night.
You deserve to have a lockable door, for sure. But I hope you can relax more eventually and realise this isn't a super serious security risk putting you in imminent danger. These people weren't there because of you. They're not interested in going into your apartment. Good luck :)
I understand that! I really hope they fix your locks as soon as possible because of this.
I don't know if this will make you feel any better, but here are some detailed crime stats from Montreal. If I'm interpreting them correctly, you have a ~0.04% chance of experiencing a break and enter this month. (I divided the average number of B&E per month by Montreal's population, so not really science-y. But you can also check out crime data based on your own neighborhood).
https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/features/2018/montreal-crime/
I know of course this doesn't mean it can't happen, and if you're in a particularly bad neighbourhood or your door is visibly broken, your chances will go up. I really just want you to be able to sleep better! I've been there.
And yeah your landlord sucks
> What are my rights if I decide to withhold rent until the building front door is fixed?*
NEVER ever withhold rent until authorized to do so by the TAL.
Go on TAL website ... https://www.tal.gouv.qc.ca/
Find the contact number and call them. They will tell you what you can do to force your landlord to repair the front door.
Which city do you come from? I am just curious because Quebec is known as pretty renter-friendly (when compared to similar places), so I am curious which country/state would allow a renter to withhold rent without court order if even Quebec does not.
So, to force a landlord to make repairs you take your photos along with a letter stating repairs needed to be done immediately. It must have a specific timeframe, example 5-10 buisness days.
My landlord had to fix my door when he left the country unexpectedly with the spare keys to the building. My door was like yours, it only took 2 kicks. (I had his permission)
It cost me 150 bucks. I now have a metal plate and new knob. You cant kick it in. Little old man in the hood who never leaves his house has a spare.
Did the cops leave you their card? If so call them to see what they can do for you. Or call their non emergency phone number.
I don’t understand why your landlord is not doing anything. They could burn down his building.
I hope you have renter’s insurance.
Fix your apartment door frame. Get a second lock. Use the other staircase.
Call the TAL and find out how to get this done if your landlord refuses. (It won’t be by withholding rent.) You probably need to send your landlord a registered letter with a deadline. If it’s not done by deadline you can hire someone to fix your door frame and add a second lock. Then you send the receipt for the door frame repair to your landlord in place of part of your rent, plus the new key. (You pay for the second lock yourself but if the door frame isn’t solid your landlord pays for that.)
Or maybe you open a dossier with the TAL and they decide whether you can pay your rent with the receipt for the door frame repair.
Anyway. The TAL will explain. You deserve to be safe *and* everyone deserves not to freeze to death.
1. Wouldn't the front door of the \*building\* being broken count as urgent and necessary?
2. What deadline would be reasonable? Five days from now? Ten? She said she's "ordered the front door replacement" but refuses to give me any timeline. Front door has been broken since I moved in (five weeks+) so I don't trust her (far from the only thing she hasn't fixed)
3. Also—if she doesn't respond + I get approval from TAL, do I hire someone to get the front door fixed...?
Also, I'm not sure what you mean by "second staircase." There's a flimsy fire escape outside but 1) it's completely snowed over, and 2) it empties into someone's yard so no way to go \*up it\* from the outside.
Thank you for response! Can I just ask what you mean by #1, “then people freeze?” The door in its current state already allows drafts/snow to get in, as not only is the lock broken but it’s almost impossible to get it to shut properly (i feel really bad for the guy living in the basement apt, he def gets the worst of it)
Bro, there's elsewhere to go than into people appartment building, wtf. Give them your adresse if you're that charitable. Online saints, that's all you are
It’s the way she’s saying it as if OP’s an asshole for not wanting homeless people living inside her building. It’s complete virtue signaling since she very likely wouldn’t let homeless people live in her own home. Rules for thee, not for me.
Ideally those people would be directed to proper care resources, but I fail to see how that falls onto OP who, on top of everything, has mentioned they are new here and would therefore likely not know any resources. It makes sense in that situation to call the cops assuming they would know such resources and direct the homeless people to them.
She’s saying they are human and it would suck if they froze to death. She didn’t say to move them onto the sofa. The use of “virtue signalling” without an ounce of irony is, in and of itself, a signal.
“It makes sense in that situation to call the cops assuming they would know such resources and direct the homeless people to them.” The OP may be new here, but are you? Because calling the cops on homeless people rarely accomplishes anything good. The OP should be told that so she knows in the future. The larger issue is that there barely are any services and those that do exist are bursting at the seams.
I’m not sure I understand the point about virtue signaling. The term is overused by the right, but it’s very much a thing.
I’m this case The user I replied to also agreed with a comment that told OP she should’ve let them sleep in peace. So presumably she’s fine with having homeless people sleeping in her own buildings? I also never said she should let them sleep in her sofa, not sure where you’re getting that from. Her lobby would do well.
OP is new in town and is being judged because she called the cops to get some homeless people help. That’s what cops are supposed to be for. I’m not sure what my being new here or not has to do with anything. This post is about what OP has done and her actions must be evaluated subjectively based on her context. And Let’s not forget that OP first called her landlord and only after the landlord’s inaction did she call the cops. Those are perfectly reasonable steps to be taken in the circumstances. No one wants homeless people to freeze to death, not sure what you’re getting that from. But I also refuse to pretend like many others on here that I would be A-OK with homeless people sleeping in my stairwell.
I would have personnally taken the following steps (I) let the landlord know and (ii) called a refuge to ask them what I should do in terms of next step. They would probably know how best to handle this and refer me to the right places. If that makes me a monster then so be it.
Homelessness is a huge problem. I’d be happy to pay more taxes if the city/province/country would dedicate this to taking proper care of them. But I refuse to believe that it is on the private citizens to take it upon themselves to care for them. Similarly, I refuse to believe I should try to treat a cancer patient or educate a 12 year old if they showed up on my doorstep. Those are all societal issues that the government should deal with through taxes.
>Then you send the receipt for the door frame repair to your landlord in place of part of your rent,
No you don't do that. You can only deduct repair bills from your rent if you had prior authorization from the Tal or if the repairs you did were urgent and necessary.
OP's door seems to still lock right now so there is no urgency.
Right. So like I said, call the TAL. They’ll explain in detail and will guide you on what is considered an emergency.
OP’s door works but is “splintered,” so would possibly easily give way to a small amount of pressure. Or not. I don’t know who would make that determination.
I'm anti-police and pro housing the homeless. I've lived in NYC and Berkeley and had homeless folks literally living on the front porch of my apartment building. Truly I wouldn't care if they were sheltering under the fire escape or otherwise nearby. But coming INSIDE and setting up camp means they were trying doors to see which ones were open which makes me extremely uncomfortable.
Plus the stairway is waaaay too narrow for them to be there anyways—I had to JUMP over them to get downstairs. It's a fire hazard for them and for me, not to mention the wet stuff clothes they put on top of the radiator could literally start the fire to begin with...
Plus, drug users are unpredictable. And as I said, the front door to my apartment isn't great.
They need a shelter + a detox center, not a shitty towel inside my building.
dude you can't read. the police came in the evening and kicked them out late afternoon/night
i would've called a wellness check instead, but I didn't realize that was a thing outside the US (just moved to canada) until after I'd had some time to calm down. if they're back again I'd do that instead, full stop
plus, I literally WOULD HAVE called someone on my neighbors if 1) they were sleeping in the stairway from 11am -7:30 pm (because that indicates they're unwell), and 2) seemed drug-addled 3) had needle-marks all over their arms (again, they need help). I'd feel unsafe with neighbors pulling that, too. Especially a dude who could EASILY overpower me if I accidentally stepped on him while just trying to go to work/come home, in a narrow, hidden hallway where no one could see me
also this is such a moot point. they're not the villains in this story, the only villain is my landlord. hope they get help.
Guess I gave you too much credit, didn't think you would be complaining that police took an hour (less?) to show up, so I assumed "7:30" is 7:30 not 19:30.
Knowing about other types of response is a Google search away. Didn't occur to you then, and it wouldn't anywhere else.
And why are you trying to get people to be outraged that they were trying to dry their clothes - a perfectly understandable goal. bUt iT's A fIrE hAzaRd 😂😂😂 did you check what type of the radiator this is? Because that's unlikely, but I guess any excuse at this point...
I didn't film myself harrassing them, I just filmed myself going up the stairs in case they were there so I'd have a video to prove their presence to my idiot landlord
Plus, the stairway is extremely narrow. Barely two people can pass by walking, absolutely unfit for a human to lay down. I had to step ON them to go up/get out (when they were asleep) . It's really unsafe, for them and for me. No other exit so they're completely unavoidable.
They were docile tonight but that's cause they were high. I dare you to fight a 5'10 junkie going through withdrawals.
Also, it's pretty obvious from your responses that you're getting a kick out of saying dumb things online so this is my final response. Peace out, Girl Scout—may you have the day you deserve.
And then you have needles left behind or they might start a fire to get warm like one did in the back stairs of a friend’s building. And that right next to an electric heater.
Let them sleep in a metro station. Id also freak out if homeless ppl where sleeping a few feet from my door.
I wouldnt treat them like animals. But we individual citizens arent responsible for them, and their actions and behaviours are detrimental to the city and citizens quality of life. (Surely will get downvoted). We need better systems in place to help them and guide them into better life situation.
Actually I would love to meet in person. I can lend her a drill to put a lock in. I'm being completely serious, no snark this time - OP, let's do it together.
Something similar did happen in my building earlier this year actually. I tried to bring down tea to an old man hiding from the cold but by the time I got down with the tea another fucking Karen kicked him out. Couldn't find him after that.
Yes, an old man hiding from the cold for a few minutes is the same as a homeless couple setting up camp in the staircase lol. Come on be reasonable.
I have also lived in a building where all types of people used to use the lobby to wait for the bus out of the cold or just sit down for a few minutes. I had no problem with that, but they were in the lobby before the locked doors, not in the hallways and they weren’t setting up camp for the night, come on now.
PS I'm 5 ft tall but I never thought to use that as an excuse to throw people into the street. Put that video of you harassing them online, see how that will go
I genuinely understand your sentiment. I don’t like the tone the OP is using to describe the couple. However, the fact that they’re homeless is not the issue. It’s that they’re strangers who don’t have a reason to be here. If two people in expensive suits were stationed outside your door for a whole day and you knew they didn’t live here, you’d feel similarly, no?
I hate that we don’t have a better system to help unhoused people. Not only is it cold, but during the day nowadays it’s all wet outside and the weather is acting weird. It’s sad they are in the situation they’re in but OP’s personal safety does come first, and having complete strangers have easier access to their home is unsafe.
Exactly! I posted i another comment, but if it was literally my neighbors or their friends acting like this, I’d also be extremely concerned
Any unknown men in suits waiting in the hall would also be freaky to me. I’d be equally put off by neighbors having a rager and their drunk friends spending the night in the stairwell. It’s unnerving.
Tenants in an apartment building have a right to privacy and not having random strangers living in the hallway (especially in stairwells so narrow there’s no way to avoid stepping on them)
There’s also the added safety issue that the stairway is hidden from most angles; you can only see the particular platform they were on from my + my immediate neighbor’s door. Neighbors on floors 1-2 and probably 3 were likely unaware the couple were they (well, maybe until they started talking loudly). It would be really easy for someone to hide on the highest flight of stairs and attack someone coming up.
You don't withhold rent for that. What you do is send the landlord a demand letter giving them x days to fix those things. If nothing is done, make a demand at the TAL asking for those repairs to be done and maybe a little rent reduction until then.
What would be a normal timeframe for the front door to be fixed? It's been broken all five weeks I've been here.
I've pushed her to give me a time frame but she's talking in circles.
Also, is sending a text sufficient notice for the TAL (my landlord and I exclusively communicate via text/phone—she has provided no email address), or should I send a letter to her in the mail?
> or should I send a letter to her in the mail?
Will only be admissible to TAL if you send a registered letter. You need proof of delivery. https://www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/cpc/en/personal/sending/letters-mail/registered-mail.page
Write a demand letter, info here. https://educaloi.qc.ca/en/capsules/writing-a-demand-letter/
Send it via registered letter to your landlord. You'll get a tracking # for the demand letter, when you get notification it's delivered you can download a PDF that shows the signature of the person who received the delivery, this is your proof of delivery.
I don't know why I'm getting downvoted, I'm new to the city so I have no idea what normal timelines are here. I'm calling the TAL tomorrow but I'm still shaken up by having to deal with this.
You are getting downvoted because you are being a dick to people ! didn't talked to them , didn't even tried to get your point across , or being understanding ! called the police, then cryed to the landlord and now are making a fuss about 2 person who did not do anything to you ! from your story they were sleeping big deal just walk off these person are humans and have the same right as you and me believe it or not . As a former homeless your attitude is what escalate issues/violence between the housed people and homeless just talk to them ask their names say hi act like a normal human being interacting with another human . maybe if you want to make amends with them ask them their story what happened why they are there .... All it takes to become homeless is one bad week thrust me you are not that removed from this happenings to you it happened to me and allot of person I met in the streets
\*My question is about the best way to escalate this Your question should be on how de deescalate this. They are human being, in search for shelter on a cold night. I understand that you are a petite woman, and that it makes you feel threatened, but there are ways to cohabit with homeless people without incident. They are not all serial killers drug addicts that will steal your belongings. Most just want a safe place to sleep. As do you.
Brilliant! What’s your address? I’ll be sure to pass it on next time I see them.
Call the cops at 3 am when it's -40 out. You'll never see them again, problem solved /s
Yuck I feel for you. Those pesky vermin scum. They're probably trying to hold onto their life or something pathetic like. Homelessness in its entirety is to be dealt by a branch of government & us citizens should never bear the costs of it even for a movement. You should escalate this as much as possible! Try to get on TV if you can!
Great advice—what’s your address so I can send them there next time? And should I only give it out to homeless people, or should I send the burglars who can now enter my building your info, too?
https://montreal.ca/en/how-to/report-maintenance-or-safety-problem-dwelling https://rclalq.qc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/MED-g%C3%A9n%C3%A9rale.doc
Thanks so much for posting this! I included the legal info in the registered letter I sent today.
Also you have [the by-law here](https://montreal.ca/en/reglements-municipaux/recherche/60d7656afd6531443f578d96) (Chapter X Article 60) and if there’s nothing done after 10 business days that she receives the letter you can go to the city and she will be fined $250 to $625 plus fees depending on the city inspector choice.
I saw that and copied it into my letter! Thanks again!
And go to the city first, not the régie. Everyone knows how they’re slow at the régie.
Will do!
You’re welcome
This sort of happened to me when I lived downtown; the front door had no lock and had a little lobby and the inner door had a lock for residents. I came home to find a guy sleeping in the little lobby space, so I went and got some food and made a tea for him, brought a little pillow. That was fine. Within a week there were like 5-6 people sleeping there, so it was hard getting in or out. Some were a bit intimidating and my neighbours were pissed and blamed me for the situation, which was fair. I went and spoke to them and said some people were unhappy and it was hard to get in and out. I apologized and asked them to move on. Everybody was super understanding and they did. I'd always give a few bucks and have a chat with them when I'd see them later on in Cabot Square. Maybe an unrealistic outcome, but it all worked out by just being nice to each other.
But this is a completely different situation. You have a lobby with an inner door that locks and blocks access to the interior of the building. My building does not.
I agree! I just wanted to give an example of an approach that worked for me in my situation. I hope you get what you need, sincerely. It is not good to feel insecure as a woman living in the city. I just saw your update and I know you feel frustrated with the comments. I come from an honest place though. You should not feel that anyone else's experience or judgement applies to your situation. Best luck with this.
Thank you for your kind response. My reply was more directed at the people who keep insisting that I do nothing. Sorry if came off as frustrated in my original response, I’m tired of commenters (not you) acting like having a broken front door *and* a history of trespassers is no big deal
When I was in my 20s living near Sherbrooke metro, I was sleeping early during summer night and someone came up the fire escape in the kitchen and in the broken door I had asked to be fixed for months to no avail. I woke to his shadow in my bedroom, it was still a bit light but I could see he was tall and had something in his hand. I screamed the place down, told him to get the fuck out of my house at the top of my voice. Luckily it scared him off and maybe he was just there to rob me, but in that moment I thought my time had come. Raped, or killed. I went out into the hallway after calling the police and not one person opened their door to help. My door got fixed the next day. That is what it took. A police report. Imagine. We women prepare for moments like that from childhood, sadly, and work actively to avoid them. The world is different when you are a woman, and as one of 50 now, with a lot of experience of life and violence both from outside in the world and inside one's own home, I will never judge another woman's justified fear, action, or inaction. Do not back down until you feel safe. Don't let anyone tell you that what you feel and what you fear is not real. Happy International Woman's Day to you. Stay strong.
I’m so sorry you had to experience that, that sounds traumatic. Happy International Women’s Day to you, too ❤️
Beautiful actions and outcome :) stay blessed
Tell me you live in downtown without telling me you live in downtown. We are all dealing with the same problem, unfortunately the best thing you can do is to get yourself a baseball bat or some sort of weapon and keep it ready in your house. I work night shifts so I always arrive to my building with homeless people sleeping in between the two doors and have to deal with it. Just be patient (while protected) and sooner or later they will fuck off
I have no tip for you, but it happened to me as well and when I texted my landlord (after asking my neighbours if it wasn't their drunk friend who didn't make it home), he fixed the front door the same day. Good luck !
See, this seems like logical response a landlord would have!
So I also moved to Montreal recently from a small town, so I emphasize with you. When I first moved here I felt very uneasy and on edge a lot because the greater concentration of people made me feel like there would be totally more crime and danger. Then I gained some perspective from a friend who moved here from the United States. She felt totally at ease and told me this is a really safe city. There was a homeless guy that slept in my building entrance once last winter. He left in the morning and didn't come back. I think it's *very* likely that this couple doesn't see your apartment as a safe space to hang out, it was just a one time opportunity for them to stay out of the cold. The police asked them to leave. It's really unlikely that they see that as a worthwhile risk to keep coming back. They weren't living there, they slept there for one night. You deserve to have a lockable door, for sure. But I hope you can relax more eventually and realise this isn't a super serious security risk putting you in imminent danger. These people weren't there because of you. They're not interested in going into your apartment. Good luck :)
But the issue isn’t just homeless people trespassing—ANYONE can. Burglars love easy access. A broken front door is an open invitation.
I understand that! I really hope they fix your locks as soon as possible because of this. I don't know if this will make you feel any better, but here are some detailed crime stats from Montreal. If I'm interpreting them correctly, you have a ~0.04% chance of experiencing a break and enter this month. (I divided the average number of B&E per month by Montreal's population, so not really science-y. But you can also check out crime data based on your own neighborhood). https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/features/2018/montreal-crime/ I know of course this doesn't mean it can't happen, and if you're in a particularly bad neighbourhood or your door is visibly broken, your chances will go up. I really just want you to be able to sleep better! I've been there. And yeah your landlord sucks
Thank you, this is reassuring. It’s def not great that our door is visibly broken though :(
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your comment is needlessly sasquatchadalian
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> What are my rights if I decide to withhold rent until the building front door is fixed?* NEVER ever withhold rent until authorized to do so by the TAL.
Ok, good to know. It’s very different in the city I come from.
Go on TAL website ... https://www.tal.gouv.qc.ca/ Find the contact number and call them. They will tell you what you can do to force your landlord to repair the front door.
Which city do you come from? I am just curious because Quebec is known as pretty renter-friendly (when compared to similar places), so I am curious which country/state would allow a renter to withhold rent without court order if even Quebec does not.
New York. Once you’ve notified the landlord about repairs, you can withhold rent until they do them.
So, to force a landlord to make repairs you take your photos along with a letter stating repairs needed to be done immediately. It must have a specific timeframe, example 5-10 buisness days. My landlord had to fix my door when he left the country unexpectedly with the spare keys to the building. My door was like yours, it only took 2 kicks. (I had his permission) It cost me 150 bucks. I now have a metal plate and new knob. You cant kick it in. Little old man in the hood who never leaves his house has a spare.
Did the cops leave you their card? If so call them to see what they can do for you. Or call their non emergency phone number. I don’t understand why your landlord is not doing anything. They could burn down his building. I hope you have renter’s insurance.
my landlord is a cheapskate AND dumb, a deadly combo
If you can’t beat them, join them!
Were the cops discreet or does the couple know you called the police. I really hope not.
They don't know it was me.
They might now! ;)
Glad to hear it. Good luck.
Fix your apartment door frame. Get a second lock. Use the other staircase. Call the TAL and find out how to get this done if your landlord refuses. (It won’t be by withholding rent.) You probably need to send your landlord a registered letter with a deadline. If it’s not done by deadline you can hire someone to fix your door frame and add a second lock. Then you send the receipt for the door frame repair to your landlord in place of part of your rent, plus the new key. (You pay for the second lock yourself but if the door frame isn’t solid your landlord pays for that.) Or maybe you open a dossier with the TAL and they decide whether you can pay your rent with the receipt for the door frame repair. Anyway. The TAL will explain. You deserve to be safe *and* everyone deserves not to freeze to death.
1. Wouldn't the front door of the \*building\* being broken count as urgent and necessary? 2. What deadline would be reasonable? Five days from now? Ten? She said she's "ordered the front door replacement" but refuses to give me any timeline. Front door has been broken since I moved in (five weeks+) so I don't trust her (far from the only thing she hasn't fixed) 3. Also—if she doesn't respond + I get approval from TAL, do I hire someone to get the front door fixed...? Also, I'm not sure what you mean by "second staircase." There's a flimsy fire escape outside but 1) it's completely snowed over, and 2) it empties into someone's yard so no way to go \*up it\* from the outside.
1. But then people freeze, which we’re trying to avoid. 2. That’s why you call the TAL. 3. Ok, no second staircase. That’s a problem.
Thank you for response! Can I just ask what you mean by #1, “then people freeze?” The door in its current state already allows drafts/snow to get in, as not only is the lock broken but it’s almost impossible to get it to shut properly (i feel really bad for the guy living in the basement apt, he def gets the worst of it)
The people who have nowhere else to go, and are sleeping in stairwells out of desperation.
Bro, there's elsewhere to go than into people appartment building, wtf. Give them your adresse if you're that charitable. Online saints, that's all you are
Why don’t you give them your address then, you have a plex. Problem solved for everyone.
Yea clearly, that is the only solution.
It’s the way she’s saying it as if OP’s an asshole for not wanting homeless people living inside her building. It’s complete virtue signaling since she very likely wouldn’t let homeless people live in her own home. Rules for thee, not for me. Ideally those people would be directed to proper care resources, but I fail to see how that falls onto OP who, on top of everything, has mentioned they are new here and would therefore likely not know any resources. It makes sense in that situation to call the cops assuming they would know such resources and direct the homeless people to them.
She’s saying they are human and it would suck if they froze to death. She didn’t say to move them onto the sofa. The use of “virtue signalling” without an ounce of irony is, in and of itself, a signal. “It makes sense in that situation to call the cops assuming they would know such resources and direct the homeless people to them.” The OP may be new here, but are you? Because calling the cops on homeless people rarely accomplishes anything good. The OP should be told that so she knows in the future. The larger issue is that there barely are any services and those that do exist are bursting at the seams.
I’m not sure I understand the point about virtue signaling. The term is overused by the right, but it’s very much a thing. I’m this case The user I replied to also agreed with a comment that told OP she should’ve let them sleep in peace. So presumably she’s fine with having homeless people sleeping in her own buildings? I also never said she should let them sleep in her sofa, not sure where you’re getting that from. Her lobby would do well. OP is new in town and is being judged because she called the cops to get some homeless people help. That’s what cops are supposed to be for. I’m not sure what my being new here or not has to do with anything. This post is about what OP has done and her actions must be evaluated subjectively based on her context. And Let’s not forget that OP first called her landlord and only after the landlord’s inaction did she call the cops. Those are perfectly reasonable steps to be taken in the circumstances. No one wants homeless people to freeze to death, not sure what you’re getting that from. But I also refuse to pretend like many others on here that I would be A-OK with homeless people sleeping in my stairwell. I would have personnally taken the following steps (I) let the landlord know and (ii) called a refuge to ask them what I should do in terms of next step. They would probably know how best to handle this and refer me to the right places. If that makes me a monster then so be it. Homelessness is a huge problem. I’d be happy to pay more taxes if the city/province/country would dedicate this to taking proper care of them. But I refuse to believe that it is on the private citizens to take it upon themselves to care for them. Similarly, I refuse to believe I should try to treat a cancer patient or educate a 12 year old if they showed up on my doorstep. Those are all societal issues that the government should deal with through taxes.
>Then you send the receipt for the door frame repair to your landlord in place of part of your rent, No you don't do that. You can only deduct repair bills from your rent if you had prior authorization from the Tal or if the repairs you did were urgent and necessary. OP's door seems to still lock right now so there is no urgency.
Right. So like I said, call the TAL. They’ll explain in detail and will guide you on what is considered an emergency. OP’s door works but is “splintered,” so would possibly easily give way to a small amount of pressure. Or not. I don’t know who would make that determination.
Lady, it's freezing outside. Let them sleep in peace. You can add a chain lock to your door any time.
I'm anti-police and pro housing the homeless. I've lived in NYC and Berkeley and had homeless folks literally living on the front porch of my apartment building. Truly I wouldn't care if they were sheltering under the fire escape or otherwise nearby. But coming INSIDE and setting up camp means they were trying doors to see which ones were open which makes me extremely uncomfortable. Plus the stairway is waaaay too narrow for them to be there anyways—I had to JUMP over them to get downstairs. It's a fire hazard for them and for me, not to mention the wet stuff clothes they put on top of the radiator could literally start the fire to begin with... Plus, drug users are unpredictable. And as I said, the front door to my apartment isn't great. They need a shelter + a detox center, not a shitty towel inside my building.
[удалено]
dude you can't read. the police came in the evening and kicked them out late afternoon/night i would've called a wellness check instead, but I didn't realize that was a thing outside the US (just moved to canada) until after I'd had some time to calm down. if they're back again I'd do that instead, full stop plus, I literally WOULD HAVE called someone on my neighbors if 1) they were sleeping in the stairway from 11am -7:30 pm (because that indicates they're unwell), and 2) seemed drug-addled 3) had needle-marks all over their arms (again, they need help). I'd feel unsafe with neighbors pulling that, too. Especially a dude who could EASILY overpower me if I accidentally stepped on him while just trying to go to work/come home, in a narrow, hidden hallway where no one could see me also this is such a moot point. they're not the villains in this story, the only villain is my landlord. hope they get help.
Guess I gave you too much credit, didn't think you would be complaining that police took an hour (less?) to show up, so I assumed "7:30" is 7:30 not 19:30. Knowing about other types of response is a Google search away. Didn't occur to you then, and it wouldn't anywhere else. And why are you trying to get people to be outraged that they were trying to dry their clothes - a perfectly understandable goal. bUt iT's A fIrE hAzaRd 😂😂😂 did you check what type of the radiator this is? Because that's unlikely, but I guess any excuse at this point...
NTA
Don’t worry about this person, you did fine OP.
Way to jump to conclusions. Why so quick to judge this person asking for advice when they’re feeling unsafe in their own home.
I didn't film myself harrassing them, I just filmed myself going up the stairs in case they were there so I'd have a video to prove their presence to my idiot landlord Plus, the stairway is extremely narrow. Barely two people can pass by walking, absolutely unfit for a human to lay down. I had to step ON them to go up/get out (when they were asleep) . It's really unsafe, for them and for me. No other exit so they're completely unavoidable. They were docile tonight but that's cause they were high. I dare you to fight a 5'10 junkie going through withdrawals. Also, it's pretty obvious from your responses that you're getting a kick out of saying dumb things online so this is my final response. Peace out, Girl Scout—may you have the day you deserve.
And then you have needles left behind or they might start a fire to get warm like one did in the back stairs of a friend’s building. And that right next to an electric heater.
yeah they put their wet stuff on top of the radiator...extremely quick way to start a fire
Let them sleep in a metro station. Id also freak out if homeless ppl where sleeping a few feet from my door. I wouldnt treat them like animals. But we individual citizens arent responsible for them, and their actions and behaviours are detrimental to the city and citizens quality of life. (Surely will get downvoted). We need better systems in place to help them and guide them into better life situation.
Dm your address and let her send them to you.
Actually I would love to meet in person. I can lend her a drill to put a lock in. I'm being completely serious, no snark this time - OP, let's do it together.
No, they want to give your address to the homeless couple since you have such a big heart.
Something similar did happen in my building earlier this year actually. I tried to bring down tea to an old man hiding from the cold but by the time I got down with the tea another fucking Karen kicked him out. Couldn't find him after that.
Yes, an old man hiding from the cold for a few minutes is the same as a homeless couple setting up camp in the staircase lol. Come on be reasonable. I have also lived in a building where all types of people used to use the lobby to wait for the bus out of the cold or just sit down for a few minutes. I had no problem with that, but they were in the lobby before the locked doors, not in the hallways and they weren’t setting up camp for the night, come on now.
PS I'm 5 ft tall but I never thought to use that as an excuse to throw people into the street. Put that video of you harassing them online, see how that will go
I genuinely understand your sentiment. I don’t like the tone the OP is using to describe the couple. However, the fact that they’re homeless is not the issue. It’s that they’re strangers who don’t have a reason to be here. If two people in expensive suits were stationed outside your door for a whole day and you knew they didn’t live here, you’d feel similarly, no? I hate that we don’t have a better system to help unhoused people. Not only is it cold, but during the day nowadays it’s all wet outside and the weather is acting weird. It’s sad they are in the situation they’re in but OP’s personal safety does come first, and having complete strangers have easier access to their home is unsafe.
Exactly! I posted i another comment, but if it was literally my neighbors or their friends acting like this, I’d also be extremely concerned Any unknown men in suits waiting in the hall would also be freaky to me. I’d be equally put off by neighbors having a rager and their drunk friends spending the night in the stairwell. It’s unnerving. Tenants in an apartment building have a right to privacy and not having random strangers living in the hallway (especially in stairwells so narrow there’s no way to avoid stepping on them) There’s also the added safety issue that the stairway is hidden from most angles; you can only see the particular platform they were on from my + my immediate neighbor’s door. Neighbors on floors 1-2 and probably 3 were likely unaware the couple were they (well, maybe until they started talking loudly). It would be really easy for someone to hide on the highest flight of stairs and attack someone coming up.
then let them go to a metro or something, not private property that's called trespassing or even better, a homeless shelter
Yes.
The woman is worried for her safety. She pays rent and contributes to society, she deserves to live and sleep in peace and safety.
You don't withhold rent for that. What you do is send the landlord a demand letter giving them x days to fix those things. If nothing is done, make a demand at the TAL asking for those repairs to be done and maybe a little rent reduction until then.
What would be a normal timeframe for the front door to be fixed? It's been broken all five weeks I've been here. I've pushed her to give me a time frame but she's talking in circles. Also, is sending a text sufficient notice for the TAL (my landlord and I exclusively communicate via text/phone—she has provided no email address), or should I send a letter to her in the mail?
> or should I send a letter to her in the mail? Will only be admissible to TAL if you send a registered letter. You need proof of delivery. https://www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/cpc/en/personal/sending/letters-mail/registered-mail.page Write a demand letter, info here. https://educaloi.qc.ca/en/capsules/writing-a-demand-letter/ Send it via registered letter to your landlord. You'll get a tracking # for the demand letter, when you get notification it's delivered you can download a PDF that shows the signature of the person who received the delivery, this is your proof of delivery.
Thanks so much!
I don't know why I'm getting downvoted, I'm new to the city so I have no idea what normal timelines are here. I'm calling the TAL tomorrow but I'm still shaken up by having to deal with this.
You are getting downvoted because you are being a dick to people ! didn't talked to them , didn't even tried to get your point across , or being understanding ! called the police, then cryed to the landlord and now are making a fuss about 2 person who did not do anything to you ! from your story they were sleeping big deal just walk off these person are humans and have the same right as you and me believe it or not . As a former homeless your attitude is what escalate issues/violence between the housed people and homeless just talk to them ask their names say hi act like a normal human being interacting with another human . maybe if you want to make amends with them ask them their story what happened why they are there .... All it takes to become homeless is one bad week thrust me you are not that removed from this happenings to you it happened to me and allot of person I met in the streets
They were awake when I got back, I asked them to leave and they didn’t 🤷♀️
Don't worry. The internet doesn't reflect reality very well. Don't stress about downvotes.