The 1225 Cardero Street dispute, also known as the Cardero case, is a residential tenancy and building-maintenance dispute involving Regency Park, a 19-storey apartment building at 1225 Cardero Street in Vancouver's West End. The building is owned by Larco Investments Ltd., a real-estate company owned by the Lalji family. In its coverage of the dispute, the Vancouver Sun described the Laljis as multibillionaires who own hundreds of properties across Canada, including hotels, apartment buildings and shopping centres.Fumano, Dan (25 April 2025). "After nine years of 'steady' neglect, Vancouver tenants win legal battle with landlord at West End building". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved 18 June 2026. The dispute concerns complaints about the condition of the building, including lack of ventilation, indoor air quality, water damage, mould, garbage facilities and maintenance standards. The Vancouver Sun, CityNews Vancouver, Radio-Canada, CBC News and CityHallWatch have covered aspects of the case. Media coverage has identified Aissa Aggoune as the Advocate involved in the dispute. According to the Vancouver Sun, the Residential Tenancy Branch complaint was filed by tenants' advocate Aïssa Aggoune, while Larco was represented at the hearings by lawyers from the Vancouver law firm Clark Wilson. The case has also triggered a Vancouver city-council motion concerning the city's building-maintenance rules. The Vancouver Sun reported that problems at the Cardero building inspired a motion by Green councillor Pete Fry, who had visited the building to inspect its condition and hear tenants' complaints. The motion directed city staff to report back on amendments to Vancouver's building-maintenance bylaw dealing with mould, indoor air quality and water damage.Junos, Kier (17 April 2025). "Proposal brought forward for new rental protections in Vancouver". CityNews Vancouver. Retrieved 18 June 2026."Enhanced Tools for Standards of Property Maintenance" (PDF). City of Vancouver. 16 April 2025. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
Background
Regency Park is a 169-unit apartment building in Vancouver's West End. In October 2024, CityNews Vancouver reported on complaints from residents about air quality, non-functional ventilation, water damage, mould and other conditions in the building. The report identified Aissa Aggoune as an advocate and organizer who gave CityNews and politicians a tour of affected suites, including the MLA who appeared on the TV coverage.Junos, Kier (17 October 2024). "West End tenants raise alarm on air quality concerns unaddressed by landlord". CityNews Vancouver. Retrieved 18 June 2026. Residents told CityNews that the building's ventilation problems had remained unresolved after years of complaints. The report described concerns about poor indoor air quality, elevated carbon-dioxide readings, mould, water damage and health symptoms reported by tenants. The City of Vancouver told CityNews that it had ordered the property owner to hire an engineer in 2018, while also stating that municipal bylaws did not regulate carbon-dioxide thresholds in buildings.
Residential Tenancy Branch proceedings
In April 2025, the Vancouver Sun reported that a group of West End tenants had obtained a legal victory against Larco Investments Ltd. in an eight-year dispute over conditions at the Cardero Street building. The newspaper reported that a British Columbia Residential Tenancy Branch arbitrator found that the landlord's neglect in dealing with the building's garbage area was not temporary or intermittent, but had continued steadily for years and caused an ongoing unreasonable disturbance for tenants. The Vancouver Sun also reported that the complaint was filed by the tenants' advocate Aïssa Aggoune, and that Larco was represented at the Residential Tenancy Branch hearing by lawyers from Clark Wilson. Aggoune described the decision to the newspaper as a "David versus Goliath" victory. CityHallWatch, a Vancouver civic-affairs website, described the dispute as an eight-year battle between Regency Park tenants and Larco Investments. It reported that the April 2025 Residential Tenancy Branch decision involved Aggoune and other tenants of the building against Larco Investments Ltd. According to CityHallWatch, the case concerned unsanitary living conditions, garbage facilities and the effects of construction activity on the same block."David vs Goliath win at Residential Tenancy Branch: Regency Park tenants (1225 Cardero) win 8-year dispute against corporate landlord (Larco) and power legal team". CityHallWatch. 24 April 2025. Retrieved 18 June 2026. CityHallWatch reported that Aggoune, described as an advocate and activist, said he had taken on the case as an advocate for families living at 1225 Cardero Street despite having no legal background. The site also reported that he was self-representing against Larco and corporate lawyers, including lawyers from Clark Wilson LLP and Gall Legge Grant Zwack LLP, and that the tenants ultimately won before the Residential Tenancy Branch and in the Supreme Court of British Columbia.
Ventilation and safety concerns
Ventilation and indoor air quality are recurring issues in coverage of the Cardero dispute. CityNews Vancouver reported in 2024 that residents said many windows in the building stayed open because of poor air quality and non-functional HVAC systems. Residents described mould, damaged floors, water damage, headaches, insomnia and allergy symptoms they associated with the building conditions. CBC News cited Aggoune in a separate report concerning fire-code enforcement and tenant safety after a Vancouver apartment-building fire. In that report, Aggoune called for stronger enforcement of fire-code violations and better protection for renters living in unsafe building conditions.Winton, Moira (15 October 2023). "Inspection reports detail years-long battle to fix fire violations in scorched Vancouver apartment building". CBC News. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
Municipal response
In April 2025, the Vancouver Sun reported that problems at the Cardero building inspired a motion introduced at Vancouver city council by Green councillor Pete Fry. The newspaper reported that Fry had visited the building the previous year to inspect its condition and hear tenants' complaints. The Vancouver Sun reported that Fry's motion directed city staff to report back on amendments to Vancouver's building-maintenance bylaw to include references and remedies for mould, indoor air quality and water damage. The article stated that these were issues Fry had observed at 1225 Cardero Street, and that the motion was seconded by ABC councillor Lisa Dominato and approved unanimously. CityNews Vancouver also reported that Vancouver city council unanimously supported the motion, which concerned possible changes to municipal property-maintenance standards dealing with mould, water damage and indoor air quality. CityNews reported that the motion followed tenant concerns at Regency Park and other rental buildings in Vancouver. The City of Vancouver motion stated that the city's Standards of Maintenance By-law did not specifically enforce or address mould, water damage or indoor air quality. It directed city staff to report back with possible amendments to include references and remedies for those issues, and to create simpler public information for tenants about their rights, health, safety and remedies under the bylaw.
Media coverage
CBC - Radio-Canada covered the Larco and Cardero dispute in a long-format documentary about affordable housing, building maintenance and tenants' rights in Vancouver."Larco, logement abordable et entretien à Vancouver". Radio-Canada. Retrieved 18 June 2026. Radio-Canada also published coverage of tenants' rights in Vancouver in connection with mould and ventilation problems."Droits des locataires à Vancouver, moisissure et ventilation". Radio-Canada. Retrieved 18 June 2026. CityNews Vancouver covered the building-condition complaints in 2024 and the municipal response in 2025. CityHallWatch published coverage of the Residential Tenancy Branch dispute, the Supreme Court hearings and follow-up coverage concerning enforcement and continued complaints at the building.
See also
Residential Tenancy Branch Housing in Vancouver Vancouver Tenants Union Landlord–tenant law