Another tenant says Kitsilano landlord used leak in apartment as grounds for eviction

A Vancouver landlord is facing fresh allegations involving renovictions.

Last week, Steve Lepage told Global News that his landlord offered to fix a leak in his kitchen’s ceiling. But he claims the landlord said the scope of the work meant Lepage would have to move out — and then move back in under a new tenancy at a much higher rent.

He turned it down and was served with an eviction notice.

WATCH: Kitsilano residents claim to be victims of ‘renovictions’

Elisa Valentine lives in a different building owned by the same landlord, and tells a similar story.

“It started when I pointed out a leak,” she said.

She says she received an eviction notice “that was given to me because it was deemed, in their opinion, an emergency repair.

“It just seemed that it went from what would be a straightforward repair, in my opinion, to an eviction notice.”

READ MORE: Her landlord jacked up rent 64%. When she refused to pay, they tried to evict her

Records show the landlord’s name is Hong Li Yu and she owns a number of rentals in Vancouver’s Kitsilano neighbourhood.

Global News hasn’t been able to reach the landlord, but did talk to a manager last week who said all of the evictions are lawful.

From 2015: Renoviction rollercoaster for Vancouver man

Tenants have complained the landlord has asked to call their bosses at work, entered their apartments without permission, and photographed tenants as they were being given eviction notices.

“I felt very intimidated,” Valentine said.

Valentine’s lawyer, Ashley Syer, said her case “really does seem to be a situation where this is a renoviction.”

Valentine challenged her eviction and won a Residential Tenancy Branch dispute resolution hearing but said she’s still being pushed to move out.

“The moment the arbitration was over, the landlord was already trying to get her out again, and that’s not in compliance with the [Residential Tenancy Branch] order, it’s not in compliance with the act, it’s not in compliance with the law in B.C.,” Syer said.

— With files from Paul Johnson and Jesse Ferreras