Kingston, Ont. tenants fed up with lack of action from landlord over broken floor tiles

Joel Felder and Misti Pitcher have been living in their apartment in Kingston, Ont. for over two years, but the past 12 months have been miserable.

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The wooden floor tiles in their dining room and spare bedroom have been coming undone, leaving uneven holes all over the place.

"It's like going into a kid's room and stepping on a piece of Lego," explained Joel Felder.

The building is managed by Homestead Land Holdings. For almost one year, the couple has been trying to get the floor fixed, but is having trouble getting a firm date for repairs.

"It's coming down to the point of when we call and ask, we almost feel like we're the problem because we're bothering them," Felder said.

The breaking point came when Misti, who is five months pregnant, tripped over the uneven floor and fell into a desk. She avoided serious injury, but the couple has had enough. They feel they aren’t seeing the benefits of renting.

Ripped up floor tiles in Joel Felder and Misti Pitcher’s apartment. (Credit: Joel Felder)

"If I wanted to fix all of my own problems, I would just buy a home," said Misti Pitcher. "The whole luxury of renting is that you don't have to worry about that stuff."

Over the course of discussions with their property managers, Felder even offered to fix it with some of his friends, if Homestead provided the materials. They say they were told no, for liability reasons.

"It’s also frustrating that I've even offered that when I shouldn't have to," Felder concluded.

"We're not here to bash anyone. We just want it fixed."

Representatives for Homestead Land Holdings did not respond to CTV News’ request for comment on Sunday.