Paul Cheng has refused to license his London rental properties or get them inspected for fire safety, rejecting city hall oversight for a couple of years, he says, because other landlords might be getting off scot-free.

Asked about his refusal, Cheng called it a matter of principle.

“It’s a protest. There are rental houses in London that I’m pretty sure are not (licensed). We should all be treated equally. . . . How come (city hall) singled me out?,” the mayoral candidate said

Tuesday.

But asked by The Free Press if a mayor should choose which laws to follow, Cheng switched course, saying he’d pay before taking office.

Still, his long-standing refusal to follow rules to protect tenants alarmed a leading renter advocate.

“The rules are there to protect tenants from death-trap slum housing,” said Jeff Schlemmer, executive director of Neighbourhood Legal Services. “Will (Cheng) respect the majority of council and the rule of law?”



580 Victoria St. a former grow-op, one of two unlicensed rental properties owned by Paul Cheng. (DEREK RUTTAN/ The London Free Press)



Cheng says his clash with city hall over licensing wasn’t his only one with city bureaucrats. He pointed to efforts to get a green light for use of a house he owns at 580 Victoria St. that in 2011 was closed by police after a marijuana grow-up was found.

Cheng said he paid a lot of money to clean the house but it failed tests for mould. He said he pleaded with the city to inspect the place and explain the failed tests, and even offered to rent a hazardous materials suit. But a city official refused, then didn’t answer questions about regulations, Cheng said.

“The way I was treated: None of your business, just do as you’re told kind of thing. And then the no response from the grow-op thing, that really turns you off. . . . It was not a pleasant experience talking to city hall.”

Cheng says his encounters at city hall didn’t play a role when in April he left a business career to run for mayor. He was a little-known candidate, but has since gained enough traction as an outsider to be the only candidate within shooting distance of front-runner Matt Brown.

Asked how many rental properties he owns, Cheng wouldn’t say. “That’s like saying how much money you got. I don’t think that’s relevant to running the city.”

Property records show he owns at least 10 rental properties. Asked the last time any were inspected by the fire department, Cheng didn’t know, saying he delegates day-to-day issues to property managers.



1030 William St. one of two unlicensed rental properties owned by Paul Cheng. (DEREK RUTTAN/ The London Free Press)



He says his refusal to license properties isn’t about money. The numbers back him up: A licence costs $55 plus a $171 fire inspection per building, while the cost of refusal is more, a $95 fee to pay an investigator plus a first-time offence of $500 if convicted.

“If you want to crucify me for that, yes, I protested and I stood up for my right to defend myself. . . . Is it wrong for me to stand up for my belief? Do you want a mayor that just craters under everything?” Cheng said.

But his rivals see it differently.

“This is very concerning,” Brown said. Londoners want a leader they can trust, Brown said.

“It’s important to follow the rules,” he said.

Candidate Joe Swan agreed: “When the mayor is not following the law. . . . We lived with that for four years.”

The London Property Management Association estimates there are about 12,000 rental properties that might be subjected to the city bylaw that passed in 2009 and was upheld after a court challenge in 2012. Since then, 4,250 properties have either been licensed or are in the process of doing so, city hall says.

The city is investigating 323 properties for renting without a licence. The city relies on landlords or neighbours to report when a building is being rented.