The clean-up continues six months after city and heath officials began investigating reports on the slum-like conditions at a St. Leonard apartment complex,
An investigation was launched by the borough of St. Leonard in November after complaints 18 buildings in the Domaine Renaissance, located at Viau and Robert Blvds., were infested with cockroaches, bedbugs and mice.
All 18 were infested with cockroaches, officials found.
Exterminators have alleviated the building of the bed bugs, but cockroaches remain, said tenant Dalila Matoub, who said she finds signs of cockroaches and eggs throughout her apartment.
"Every time we take out dishes to eat, we have to wash them a second time," said Matoub.
The Montreal Public Health Department said water infiltration, mould, cockroaches and mice contributed to health problems for tenants in 40 per cent of the units they visited.
Five units were so filthy, the city instructed tenants to evacuate and ordered the owner to clean the premises. When the owner failed to do so, the city of Montreal moved in to prompt the clean-up, and will force the owner to pay.
The city of Montreal said it hopes the problems in the complex will be completely alleviated by the fall.
