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The '''Cardero case''' is a Canadian litigation court case between real estate corporation Larco Investments, owned by the multi-billionaire Lalji family, and residents of one its properties, Regency Park, in [[Vancouver]], British Columbia.<ref name="VancouverSun2025" /> The case concerns complaints about the condition of the building and inspired a municipal motion to change Vancouver by-laws in relation to indoor air pollution, mould, water damage and unsanitary living conditions.<ref name="RadioCanadaLong" /><ref name="RadioCanadaMould" /> Larco Investments was represented in the [[Supreme Court of British Columbia|Supreme Court]] and the British Columbia Residential Tenancy Branch by lawyers from law firms of Gall Legge Grant Zwack and Clark Wilson, while the tenants were represented by Aïssa Aggoune.<ref name="VancouverSun2025" />

== Media coverage ==

The court case gained media attention when the residents, represented by their advocate, Aïssa Aggoune, won a "David vs. Goliath" legal battle against the corporation's lawyers in the [[Supreme Court of British Columbia]] and in the BC Residential Tenancy Branch (RTB). The ''[[Vancouver Sun]]'', [[CBC News]], [[Global News|Global TV]], [[CityNews]], [[Radio-Canada]], ''[[The Globe and Mail]]'' and CityHallWatch have covered the case over the years.<ref name="VancouverSun2025" /><ref name="CityNewsAir" /><ref name="CityNewsMotion" /><ref name="CBCFire" /><ref name="RadioCanadaLong" /><ref name="RadioCanadaMould" /><ref name="CityHallWatch2025" />

== City of Vancouver response ==

The legal battle between Larco's lawyers and the residents lasted over 9 years and that victory inspired the City of Vancouver to introduce a motion to change the by-laws in order to better protect Vancouver residents from "sick building symptoms", including unsanitary living conditions, indoor air pollution, mold infestations and water damages inside the home of Vancouver residents. In May 2025, the municipal motion was voted on by Vancouver City councillors and was passed unanimously.<ref name="VancouverSun2025" /><ref name="CityNewsMotion" /><ref name="CouncilMotion" />

== Background ==

The problems at 1225 Cardero Street began in 2016, when Larco Investments began the construction of an adjacent tower on Davie Street, right across from Regency Park.

The destruction of the existing structure, the Davie Street's London Drugs and Regency Park's underground parking lot caused a lot of dust and debris to enter the homes of nearby residents, forcing them to keep their windows shut for almost 4 years.<ref name="RadioCanadaLong" /><ref name="RadioCanadaMould" /> With the windows shuts, the residents realized the impact of not having a functional ventilation system was having on their health and reported the broken HVAC system to Larco Investments' property management company. The residents reported to the media that the issues were never repaired so they decided to come together and start a class action style lawsuit in the appropriate jurisdiction, the RTB.<ref name="RadioCanadaLong" /><ref name="RadioCanadaMould" />

The claim was filed by their advocate Aïssa Aggoune in January 2018.<ref name="VancouverSun2025" />

Other issues included in the claim were the unsanitary living conditions caused by the relocation of the garbage bins to the outside of the building, behind a mesh fence open to the elements. The tenants also reported security issues, plumbing deficiencies and unaddressed water damages causing mold and adding to the indoor air pollution inside their homes due to the lack of ventilation.<ref name="RadioCanadaLong" /><ref name="RadioCanadaMould" /> <ref name="CityNewsAir" />

A first decision was rendered in October 2018 where the residents and their advocate won on the ventilation issue and Larco was ordered to repair the ventilation system and to compensate the tenants with the largest monetary compensation ever ordered in BC at the time.<ref name="VancouverSun2025" /> But the decision also dismissed the remainder of the issues in the claim ( the unsanitary living conditions, etc... ) <ref name="CityNewsAir" /><ref name="VancouverSun2025" />

Aïssa Aggoune took the case to the Supreme Court of BC and successfully had the decision overturned in Judicial Review and a new hearing was ordered to be scheduled by Supreme Court Judge Justice Russell in December 2019.<ref name="VancouverSun2025" />

The new hearings took place in 2024 and 2025, This time, Larco Investments hired lawyers from Clark Wilson, a law firm in Vancouver, BC. Aïssa Aggoune, a self-taught advocate, was facing two lawyers from Clark Wilson during the hearings.<ref name="VancouverSun2025" /> In April and May 2025, the final decision was shared with various media outlets like the Vancouver Sun, CityNews and CBC, which described the victory as a 'David vs Goliath' legal battle which will impact not only the 179 families living at Regency Park but also all BC residents to be provided with safer and cleaner housing for their families.<ref name="CityNewsAir" /> The decision included an Order to compensate the residents around 40,000$, the largest monetary Order for repairs and maintenance ever recorded in the history of BC. Mr. Aggoune was cited in the Vancouver Sun estimating that Larco spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in lawyers in these Supreme Court and RTB court hearings.<ref name="VancouverSun2025" />

In October 2024, CityNews's TV coverage showed the damages inside the building and [[Spencer Chandra Herbert]] meeting with Aïssa Aggoune to inspect inside the apartments and hear the complaints from residents about air quality, non-functional ventilation, water damage, mould and other conditions in the building.<ref name="CityNewsAir" /> The report identified Aïssa Aggoune as the resident organizer and advocate who gave CityNews a tour of affected suites.<ref name="CityNewsAir" /> <ref name="CityHallWatch2025" />

CBC News cited Aïssa 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.<ref name="CBCFire" />

Radio-Canada covered the Cardero case in a long-form report about affordable housing, building maintenance and tenants' rights in Vancouver.<ref name="RadioCanadaLong" /> Radio-Canada also published coverage of tenants' rights in Vancouver in connection with mould and ventilation problems.<ref name="RadioCanadaMould" />

== See also ==

* [[Residential Tenancy Branch]]
* [[Housing in Vancouver]]
* [[Vancouver Tenants Union]]
* [[Landlord–tenant law]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|refs=<ref name="VancouverSun2025">{{Cite web |last=Fumano |first=Dan |date=25 April 2025 |title=After nine years of 'steady' neglect, Vancouver tenants win legal battle with landlord at West End building |url=https://vancouversun.com/news/vancouver-tenants-win-legal-battle-over-problems-in-west-end-building |website=Vancouver Sun |access-date=1 July 2026}}</ref> <ref name="CityNewsAir">{{Cite web |last=Junos |first=Kier |date=17 October 2024 |title=West End tenants raise alarm on air quality concerns unaddressed by landlord |url=https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2024/10/17/vancouver-west-end-apartment-air-quality-landlord-tenants/ |website=CityNews Vancouver |access-date=1 July 2026}}</ref> <ref name="CityNewsMotion">{{Cite web |last=Junos |first=Kier |date=17 April 2025 |title=Proposal brought forward for new rental protections in Vancouver |url=https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2025/04/17/vancouver-rental-protections-motion-city-council/ |website=CityNews Vancouver |access-date=1 July 2026}}</ref> <ref name="CouncilMotion">{{Cite web |date=16 April 2025 |title=Enhanced Tools for Standards of Property Maintenance |url=https://council.vancouver.ca/20250416/documents/cfscmotion4.pdf |website=City of Vancouver |access-date=1 July 2026}}</ref> <ref name="CBCFire">{{Cite web |last=Wyton |first=Moira |date=15 October 2023 |title=Inspection reports detail years-long battle to fix fire violations in scorched Vancouver apartment building |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/tenant-advocates-call-for-increased-fire-code-enforcement-1.6994757 |website=CBC News |access-date=1 July 2026}}</ref> <ref name="RadioCanadaLong">{{Cite web |title=Larco, logement abordable et entretien à Vancouver |url=https://ici.radio-canada.ca/info/long-format/2137596/larco-logement-abordable-entretien-vancouver |website=Radio-Canada |access-date=1 July 2026}}</ref> <ref name="RadioCanadaMould">{{Cite web |title=Droits des locataires à Vancouver, moisissure et ventilation |url=https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/2157639/droits-locataires-vancouver-moisissure-ventilation |website=Radio-Canada |access-date=1 July 2026}}</ref> <ref name="CityHallWatch2025">{{Cite web |date=24 April 2025 |title=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 |url=https://cityhallwatch.wordpress.com/2025/04/24/david-goliath-rtb-tenants-win-vs-larco-regency-park/ |website=CityHallWatch |access-date=1 July 2026}}</ref>}}

[[Category:Landlord–tenant law of Canada]]
[[Category:21st century in Vancouver]]
[[Category:British Columbia law]]