EDMONTON — The owners of a downtown Edmonton apartment building have been fined nearly $40,000 for public health violations, including having suites with bedbugs and no heat.
Deo Jaipaul, 60, and Shanti Jaipaul, 54, of Red Deer, Alta., were dinged with a total penalty of $38,663 after pleading guilty Tuesday to multiple charges under the Public Health Act.
Provincial court heard the Jaipauls have owned the nine-suite apartment building since 1999 and have been dealing with Alberta Health Services’ investigators on various problems since November 2005.
As well as a bedbug infestation in several suites, the landlords were cited for allowing the building to be in disrepair, including having deteriorating balconies.
There were also unsafe balcony safety guards, improper windows and doors, leaky plumbing, inoperable smoke alarms and suites with stoves or fridges that did not work.
At one point, the front door to the apartment building could not be locked and there were also mouse droppings found in one of the suites.
Additionally, there were several rented suites where it was impossible to get the heat up to the minimum standard allowed of 22 C.
During one inspection on Jan. 15, 2009, temperatures as low as 6 C were measured in one suite and tenants were using ovens and stoves to heat their apartments.
The couple also pleaded guilty to ignoring executive orders issued by Alberta Health Services investigators.