When Syed Noman Ali opened the new lease papers from his landlord in May, it was yet another rent increase, the second in as many years. In 2022, Ali had been paying $1,425 a month, plus $50 for parking, for his low-rise three-bedroom unit. When Avenue Living, the Calgary-based real estate owner and operator, took over the building that same year, it raised his base rent to $2,125. It now wanted $2,450.
Ali was also paying additional costs the previous owner never billed. Avenue Living wanted $60 per month for parking, a $15 environmental recovery fee, and a $30 security fee. For what? Ali asked. The security guards who used to protect the complex were gone since Avenue Living took over, and the security cameras on the property had been a fixture long before the ownership change, he said.
