Years-long elevator issues, merciless management

I've been a tenant at 15 Cliff for a number of years. The units are nice, some have great views, the front courtyard is lovely, and public transit is nearby. But if you're considering moving here, you should know that the building has a long history of major elevator issues. People getting trapped, sometimes for hours, elevators rapidly descending and abruptly stopping, elevator outages. There are... [more]

I've been a tenant at 15 Cliff for a number of years. The units are nice, some have great views, the front courtyard is lovely, and public transit is nearby. But if you're considering moving here, you should know that the building has a long history of major elevator issues. People getting trapped, sometimes for hours, elevators rapidly descending and abruptly stopping, elevator outages. There are only two elevators in this 150+ unit, 30-story building (with no service elevator). If one elevator goes out, which it frequently does, hundreds of people are using one elevator. If both go out, have fun climbing to the 30th floor (or wherever your unit is) for the next few hours or days. A few months ago, Brookfield bought the building. They fired most of the lovely staff and concierges, many of whom had been here for years and had good relationships with residents. The concierges were largely replaced by a rotating cast of less experienced folks. It's not uncommon to come home late and find no one at the concierge desk, or find the concierge sleeping (the front doors aren't ever locked). The new management is in the middle of "modernizing" the elevators. Residents were told it would take 18 weeks to modernize both elevators, starting at the end of March. During this time, only one elevator would be available...including for move ins/outs. 18 weeks has come and gone. In that time, one elevator has been "modernized" and put back into service, but it's already had to be taken out of service multiple times because of safety issues like loud banging noises, too-fast descents followed by abrupt stops, bouncing up and down, etc. Some of the dogs in the building refuse to get in the new elevator...never a good sign. There was a three-day period where both elevators were broken, plus multiple shorter instances. They've barely begun work on the second elevator and are already past the total time they said it would take. Complaints about this situation go nowhere. The building calls the issues "inconveniences" and says things like "thanks for your anticipated cooperation". On one occasion - the three-day outage  - they offered a very small credit on tenants' accounts. Other than that, the only thing they've done is occasionally put out some granola bars or a box of coffee (but not enough for everyone), then brag that they're providing food and drink to make up for the "inconvenience" of having to walk up and down 30 flights of stairs to get to/from your home. On numerous occasions, I've left 15-20 minutes earlier than I usually do, in order to account for the time needed to deal with the elevators, and still ended up having to run or take a cab in order to not be late. I've had to cancel things due to both elevators abruptly being out of service. There's a financial and time component to this situation that potential renters should be aware of, in addition to the safety component. It's great that the building is replacing the elevators, and of course the replacements can't be done without taking one of the two elevators out of service! This building should not have been built with just two elevators in the first place. But it's the owner's responsibility to bear whatever burdens come with purchasing and upgrading a property...not the tenants. The management is merciless, and they know they have everyone in a bind because they're a big RE corp and individuals can't afford to fight. They're also raising rent like crazy, DESPITE the fact that you might not be able to even access your very expensive unit! (That's not mentioned in the listings.) This is not the first time management has been merciless. The same has happened with other building-wide issues, and I don't doubt it will continue if/when the elevators get fixed. I'm sure the building manager will write a reply with all their usual talking points and say the project will be done soon, that the elevators are the fault of the previous owner, that it's just a small inconvenience, that the building is very responsive and cares about tenants, that they're just responding to the market, etc. You'll have to make the call, but when you visit, maybe walk up to your potential unit rather than taking the elevator, so you can see what it will feel like.  [less]