A local group advocating for low and moderate income tenants wants action from landlords and the City of Moncton.

ACORN held an awareness rally at 185 McSweeney Avenue this week.

Co-Chair Peter Jongeneelen says tenants claim there is a bedbug infestation and something needs to be done.

“In addition to the problems with bed bugs, they have concerns around one unit that does not have a working smoke and carbon monoxide detector in their unit. Another one doesn’t even have one in it at all. There were the tenants in the building are telling us that, the building has not had a proper like fire alarm, fire system inspection that they know of in the last two years. There’s a side entrance where there’s loose pieces of concrete, so it’s not attached to the building,” Jongeneelen adds.

The group claims the landlord is attempting to blame the tenants for the bedbug infestation.

“It’s a lot of frustration with these tenants. The tenants believe that this is basically not just in one unit, that it may be a building wide problem. That’s where someone who is trained in pest remediation can come in proactively and kind of intervene. It just doesn’t seem like there’s a really good system in place in regards to maintenance. Most landlords are good, and they try to work within the rules, but do they really know all the rules, and do they understand what the bylaws exactly entail?” Jongeneelen questions.

The group would like to see a solid landlord registration system and proactive inspection in Moncton and in other cities as well.

“Fire safety, I will say that the city does take seriously. The fire marshal does take action on it, but it’s the other issues, like the bedbugs that seem to be at issue. The province can’t see it because they’re not boots on the ground, so they can’t see the full scope of this. So it’s we’ve got to get something in there that is going to help, and an intermediary in there, because if the tenants are frustrated.”

He adds tenants want maintenance done, and pest remediation because they want value for the amount of money they are paying in rent.

Jongeneelen adds there should be mandatory checks of buildings and more bylaw enforcement.

“Actions speak louder than words. That’s what we really need is, you know, some action on this and to move it forward. It’s also to protect these senior tenants to make sure that they’re safe, make sure that everything is up to par where it should be.”