'A prisoner of the fifth floor': Guelph apartment tenants concerned with lengthy elevator shutdown

Tenants of a six floor apartment building in Guelph are wondering what to do as work in the building is expected to shut down the elevator for five to eight weeks starting on Monday.

According to tenants at a the Skyline Living apartment building on Waterloo Avenue in Guelph, the property owner has provided numerous notices about the work since 2018.

“I can’t take a walker up and down the stairs, so I’m pretty much a prisoner of the fifth floor,” said tenant Linda Barei. “I’m going to have friends and relatives walk the five stairs and come and see me I guess when they can.”

Tenants said they have made accommodations several times, but the date of the work kept getting pushed off. In May, they were given a final date for the work, with less than a month of notice.

“Each time it’s been stressful, because you sort of prepare and prepare and you’re hoping you’re preparing and then it changes,” said tenant Vicki Shadlock.

Barei uses a walker to get around and says, without an elevator, she won't be able to make it down the stairs. As a result, she has been forced to move five doctor’s appointments that were scheduled for July to September.

Tenants also say a meeting was supposed to be set up to discuss the entire situation with Skyline Living, but nothing was ever organized.

“So basically what has happened, as what’s happened in the past is, major changes will be made to the building and the tenants are sort of left in the lurch,” said tenant Doug Williamson.

According to the tenants, runners will be available for three hours a day to help move items up and down the stairs.

“Nothing happened. No consultations, no brainstorming,” said tenant Sami Etbarek.

Earlier this month, residents of a Skyline Living property in Sarnia told CTV News they were promised the same service while elevator repairs were done there, but claimed it was unreliable.

According to the renters in Guelph, they have not been offered any other accommodations and are still expected to pay their full rent while work is being completed.

“Laundry up the stairs and down the stairs, like there’s got to be something they can do,” said tenant Gloria Smith.

“I guess we’ll have to wait and see how much help they’re going to give us,” said tenant John Allarie. “But if we have to move we’ll move.”

CTV News reached out to Skyline Living for a comment but did not receive a response.