City files 60 charges against Balmoral Hotel

TheCity of Vancouver has filed 60 charges in provincial court againstBalmoralHotel Ltd. over safety and maintenance standards violations.

Eight weeks ago, 142 residents of the Downtown Eastside SRO were ordered evacuated over fears the buildingwould collapse.

The bylaw breaches addressed in Thursday's filing include failure to maintain walls, ceilings and floors to an adequate standardand lack of maintenance to plumbed facilities such as baths and toilets.

Each infraction carries a potential fine of $250 to $10,000.

"The City of Vancouver is committed to holding landlords accountable for maintaining habitable standardsin single room accommodation buildings," said KayeKrishna, general manager of development, buildings and licensing.

The Balmoral is among a group of low-income residences owned by the Sahotafamily, who former city councilor Geoff Meggs recently categorized as "despicable slumlords."

An in-depth engineering inspection released by the city last month said tenants of the 176-room building were in imminent danger due to severe water damage and rot in the interior structure.

TheBalmoralis also the subject of two class-action lawsuitsone aimedat the city for not exercising its powers to force repairs earlierand another targeting theSahota familyfor allowing the building to fall into such a state.

• A look inside the Balmoral Hotel where city says tenants are in 'imminent danger'
• City defends decisions leading up to Balmoral Hotel evacuation

Nearly all of the former tenants of the hotel were relocated to social housing.