Toronto condo resident learns her key opens other units

A condo resident in Toronto’s east end is raising concerns about the security of her building after she learned her key opens not only her front door — but also the door to other units.

Aurella Daigle, who lives at Danforth and Coxwell avenues, said she’s convinced other tenants have master keys as well.

“Four days ago, I was lying down, having a nap — and it’s a good thing I had my chain on my door,” she said.

“Someone had opened my door and … it scared me. I got up. I said, ‘Who’s there?’ I was afraid to open it right away because I didn’t know who was on the other side.”

Daigle said her door has been opened before and her belongings, like makeup and clothes, have gone missing.

“I’m not the only person that’s missing things,” she said. “A lot of people are scared to come forward, because they’re scared of the landlord, they’re scared of management. But I have to do something.”

A few years ago, she and her boyfriend learned by accident that their key opened the doors to other units.

“There’s people that’s got little kids in here,” she said. “I’m not just afraid for myself, but for their safety as well.”

The property manager claimed he hadn’t received any complaints about people having master keys.

“If a tenant claims to have a key that opens another door or doors, we would expect them to advise us as soon as possible so that we could take corrective action immediately,” Bob Aykler said. “We have never been told of such an occurrence.”

But Daigle said she has left several messages for Aykler and told the superintendent several times as well.

“I told him so many times,” she explained. “But he said it’s all in my head. It’s not possible that somebody has a key.”

Daigle said the property manager did change her locks last year, but her old key still works — and her new key opens even more doors than before.

”My biggest concern is if I have this key, how many other people have got a key like this?” she said. “In all these years, I’ve been telling them since 2009 about this, and they’ve basically ignored me.”

In any case, Aykler said his company would change Daigle’s lock and key — and others, if necessary.