Toronto's notoriously sketchy ICE Condos complex is now officially a ghost hotel
They aren't the tallest or the most luxurious towers from the current condo boom, but the twin towers of ICE Condominiums have earned an infamous reputation as a hotbed of partying and criminal activity.
The pair of 67- and 57-storey towers have made frequent headlines, often for the wrong reasons, attracting tourists as well as partying locals to its soaring condo units — units you will frequently see listed on short-term rental services like Airbnb.
Already known as an unofficial "ghost hotel," ICE Condos' status was made official through a recent partnership between the complex management and Airbnb itself.
All in ice condos.
— ܗܹܒܼܝܼ (@hiwi___) February 24, 2020
Owners of units in the towers were sent a letter on March 6, informing them that Airbnb had inked a deal to become the exclusive short-term rental platform permitted on the property, and that a 15 per cent booking fee would be allocated towards the complex's capital repairs, improvements, and security fund.
The money is sure to come in handy for buildings that have long suffered the ill effects of short-term rental stays, with everything from Shining-style blood-filled elevators to bullet holes found on-site in recent years.
Elevator filled with blood discovered in Toronto condo tower and nobody is surprise https://t.co/PxlyGRhVuH #Toronto
— blogTO (@blogTO) September 7, 2021
According to CityNews, owners in the buildings who had sought changes to short-term rental rules say they weren't consulted on the Airbnb partnership or the 15 per cent surcharge, both of which they characterize as unfair.
The partnership with Airbnb is also being criticized by Fairbnb Canada Network, an organization seeking fairer rules for short-term rentals, or STRs.
BREAKING: ICE CONDOS NOW A PROPER GHOST HOTEL
— Fairbnb Canada Network (@Fairbnbcanada) March 9, 2023
After its fair share of shootings, ghost hotel parties and other violent happenings over the past few years, the condo finally signed an agreement with #Airbnb to turn it into a proper ghost hotel. #TOpolihttps://t.co/ZeS9A0Ouc6
You don't have to look far to find an example of people using units at ICE Condos as a party venue.
Here's one posted literally two weeks ago.
Never buy or rent in this building. pic.twitter.com/fTTMwyT64a
— Justice_Queen 🏗🏙🚇⚖️ (@RE_MarketWatch) February 24, 2023
Even when parties at short term renals aren't making headlines, the ICE Condos have a way of attracting sketchy behaviour, like repeated instances of rental scams targeting people who may not have gotten the memo on the complex's history.
Jack Landau
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