Tenants of a Parkdale apartment complex are staging a protest to fight back-to-back rent increases being sought by their landlord.

Property manager Akelius Canada applied to increase the rent at 188 Jameson Ave. by 4.1 per cent in 2014; this year it doubled down, seeking a 4.6 per cent hike. At least 50 residents of the midrise apartment building, including many Tibetan refugees, say they can’t afford to pay that much and are planning to protest outside Akelius’ Toronto head office Monday.

“The amount they want to increase, it’s just too much,” says Namgyal Lhamo, 39, a personal support worker who lives in a one-bedroom apartment with her three-year-old daughter and her cousin.

In a statement to the Star, Akelius spokesman Ben Scott said the increases are meant to subsidize costs Akelius incurred from municipal taxes and utilities, increased security measures and extensive renovations. The provincially recommended guidelines for rent increases were 0.8 per cent and 1.6 per cent for 2014 and 2015, respectively.

Akelius’ proposed increases are subject to a Landlord and Tenant Board hearing April 28.

Scott said Akelius will not seek the full amount it is entitled to under the Residential Tenancies Act.

“(We) will work with tenants to come to an agreement that allows us to recoup a portion of our costs while reducing the share borne by the tenants.” He said tenants who feel they won’t be able to keep up with the increase can reach out Akelius’ customer service team.

Lhamo, a Tibetan refugee, moved to Canada from a small village in India in 2010. As a single mom, she said she works long hours at Baycrest hospital, followed by chores when she gets home, often at around midnight. Making ends meet is difficult enough without the rent hike, she said, adding she can’t afford to move elsewhere.

“None of us here are doctors and lawyers, we’re all just workers.”

Akelius, a Swedish company, acquired 188 Jameson Ave. and a handful of other Parkdale properties between December 2012 and November 2013. Last summer, residents from four Parkdale buildings filed an application to the Landlord and Tenant Board claiming Akelius’ decision to remove on site superintendents has resulted in neglect. That issue will also be discussed at an April 28 hearing.

Instead of reporting their complaints to a super, residents now go through a call centre.

Dawa Tsering, 40, who also lives at 188 Jameson, told the Star concerns about safety, repairs, unreliable hydro service and pests often fall on deaf ears.

Scott said the new system was created to streamline complaints; electricians, plumbers and general maintenance staff are dispatched to assist residents. Since May 2014, Akelius has resolved 16,000 work orders, he said, with a median completion time of two days from when a call is received.

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Akelius is Sweden’s largest private housing operator, with properties in Sweden, Canada, Germany and the U.K. According to its website, the Canadian portfolio includes 2,350 apartments.