A former tenant of a Toronto apartment building – who had been raising concerns with management for months about the installation of hallway cameras – says he feels vindicated after receiving a response from the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.
Javie Ruiz Soler filed a complaint with the commissioner after the installation of the cameras in all resident hallways at 105 Isabella Street.
“In November 2024, I notified management that some of the cameras were pointing to the entrance of my unit and they were capable to film inside,” he told us. “They were also able to see anytime somebody was coming in or out.”
Ruiz Soler said the management company, MetCap Living, refused to provide information on why residents were not informed of the new camera policy or how the footage was being used and stored.
“They did not answer and they basically said that they were not going to provide any type of footage or explanation,” he said.
That’s when he decided to file his complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) arguing the cameras violated his rights under the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).
Views from a camera installed at 105 Isabella Street that appear to point to an apartment door. Credit Javier Ruiz Soler
After investigating the claims, the office found MetCap had made several PIPEDA violations including inappropriately collecting personal information from inside the tenants’ units, a failure to respond to Ruiz Soler’s access request or provide the privacy officer’s contact information.
“The use of security cameras can be beneficial to enhance the safety and security of tenants. However, it is intrusive for images of the inside of tenants’ units to be captured as part of a security video surveillance,” the OPC investigator stated in their report which was sent to staff at MetCap Living.
“MetCap Living takes the privacy, safety and security of residents seriously. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada raised important concerns,” Vice President of Operations Michael Guyette said in response.
“Following a review of the camera positioning, the relevant camera angles were adjusted and supporting images were provided to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner.”
Guyette said they also addressed the public information issue and has reinforced its procedures for responding to privacy related inquiries and access requests.
“MetCap remains committed to ensuring that security measures are appropriately implemented, that cameras monitor common areas while respecting residents’ privacy and that privacy related concerns are addressed clearly and promptly,” he said.
Ruiz Soler, who has since moved out of the building due to his concerns, remains worried it had to go this far to prompt change.
“Now they are trying to backtrack saying, ‘oh, we are now aware.’ No – I’ve been reporting this for four years, they knew there were concerns,” he said.
He has also filed a complaint with the Landlord and Tenant Board but is still waiting for a hearing to be scheduled.
“We are talking about one of the most private environments which is your home and you should feel safe, private and respected inside your home,” he said.
“Maybe this is a lesson for other corporate landlords that are thinking of deploying CCTV camera systems.”
A monitor shows views from multiple cameras installed at 105 Isabella Street. A former tenant says they are an invasion of privacy because they can see into tenants’ homes. Credit is: Javier Ruiz Soler
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