Tenants fed up with bugs, open drug use in downtown Hamilton apartment

Tenants of an apartment complex in Hamilton’s Corktown neighbourhood say they’re living in a nightmare.

They say problems with bugs, repairs and people only using drugs in common areas, are going largely unanswered.

Tenants say the issues all began when a new property management company took over a year ago.

Danielle Thompson has been a tenant at 123 Charlton Ave. for nine years — she said there’s a laundry list of issues at the property that all began when a new management company took over her building, and the one next door at 100 Forest Ave., around a year ago.

“Unfortunately for me, I’m fed up,” said Thompson. “Cockroaches and bedbugs are a huge deal — we even had Canada Post put up signage that they will not deliver mail because the mail room is infested.”

CHCH News received a photo of the signage, but the post at Forest Avenue had since been taken down.

David Lefebvre, a tenant at the Forest Avenue property, said he’s been dealing with roaches and bed bugs for months, but he also said Drake Property Management had been working with him on the issue.

“It’s tragic — I’ve had bedbugs for almost 11 months now,” said Lefebvre. “This is the eighth spray in 13 weeks. Three couches I threw out, three really good couches.”

Tenants also said they often find people who don’t live in the building, camping out in their parking garage, stairwells, and front lobby, often using drugs.

Photos shared with CHCH News depict several people sleeping in the hallways, right next to apartment doors, and elsewhere in the building.

“This door should be locked at all times, because of safety reasons, this is how the homeless and people on drugs are getting in,” said one tenant.

In a stairwell from the parking garage, garbage and clothing can be found.

Thompson also said several tenants’ cars had been broken into and vandalized, while parked in the underground garage.

A statement from Drake Property Management reads, “resident safety is of utmost importance to us.”

“In June 2025, we invested in additional building security measures, including the introduction of overnight security at the property seven days a week. With staff or security personnel onsite 24/7, security incidents and concerns have decreased significantly,” further reads the statement.

The people who live in the buildings say they have reached out to the company several times about getting security on site, but were told to call the police instead.

“I’ve pretty much taken on an unpaid security gig,” said Stelio Tsanas, a tenant at the Charlton building. “I constantly kick out people from the stairwells, our corridors, who are setting up shop there.”

Tsanas and his fiancé moved into a newly renovated two-bedroom unit in the building in October. They pay $2,400 a month, with advertisements showing that price can be found online for similar units.

Some tenants say they are planning to move.

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