Vancouver issues deadline for Murray Hotel maintenance problems

Tenants ofa single room occupancy hotel indowntown Vancouver say a deadline for the managers to resolve 32 maintenancebylaw violationscan't come soon enough.

The City of Vancouver said it discovered the violationswhen itinspected the Murray Hotel,onHornby Street nearDavieStreet,on Dec.2.

City officials have given the hotel owners,Kenstone Properties,until Jan. 10 to fix the problems.

"A lot of issuesshowers not working, toilets, hallways are terrible, staircases smell, people's rooms are hoarded, peopled are hoarding stuff in the hallways andfire escapes," said Wade Shapley, whohas lived in the building for two years.

Shapleysaid he pays nearly $800 for his one-bedroom apartment. But he said it'sbeen plagued by gas leaks, mold infestations and cockroaches.

He said security in the building is so poor, his fiance sometimes uses a bucket instead of the shared washrooms.

"People are very scared to leave their rooms at night time because some of the individuals that come here are quite dangerous," he said.

Those concerns have largely been ignored, claimsShapley, so he's moving to a place he foundin Surreyin better condition,for a similarprice.

But before he goes, he's speaking in the hopes conditions may improve for those still living at the Murray Hotel.

"I'd like to see some change before I leave here. I've made a lot of friends in this building," he said.

Kenstone Properties known for its luxurious developments onVancouver's westside saidAtira Property Managementis responsible for the day-to-day operations of the hotel.

"There have been ongoing maintenance issues at the Murray, we've been working extensively to repair some outstanding building issues," said Atirabuilding manager Adam Glover.