The number of owners going to court to take back their homes has increased by more than 150% in just five years. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg.
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“This year is the third time my landlord has tried to repossess his property. First it was for him, then for his wife and now for his mother. I can't take it anymore,” admits a tenant from east Montreal who requested anonymity for fear of reprisals.
Every two years, this mother with three young children receives a notice from her expatriate owner that her home is being repossessed.
“The first time he decided he didn’t want to take the apartment back. The second time, he sent the letter too late, the judge said [du Tribunal administratif du logement] decided in my favor,” she explains.
Explosion of cases
At the Administrative Housing Tribunal (TAL), the number of files opened by owners seeking to take over an apartment increased from 1,061 in 2018-2019 to 2,693 in 2022-2023, an increase of 151% in five years.
At the Infologis Housing Committee in East Montreal, these numbers are no longer shocking. Thanks to an access to information request, the organization found that in a small part of the area it covers, attempts to repossess homes have tripled in five years.
Jean-Christophe Bureau, Head of Legal Advice for Tenants at Infologis on the East Island of Montreal “Clara Loiseau / JdeM”
“This is not the total number of foreclosures, but only a fraction,” recalls Jean-Christophe Bureau, head of legal advice for tenants.
In order for a file to be opened, the tenant must refuse to take over and the owner must take steps at the Administrative Court for Housing. In many cases, tenants are unaware of their rights and agree to leave.
Speculative acquisitions
And the number of housing expropriation cases is increasing across the province, claims Martin Blanchard of the Regroupement des Committees Logement et des Associations de Tenants du Québec (RCLALQ).
“This year it went up in flames again. Workers spend all day receiving tenants who have received foreclosure notices,” he adds, regretting that this eviction technique is largely forgotten in the new Law 31.
Martin Blanchard, co-spokesman of the Regroupement Committees and Tenants Association of the Logement of Quebec. Clara Loiseau / JdeM
With Quebec's vacancy rate at 1.3%, its lowest level since 2003, it's no surprise that foreclosures are on the rise, Blanchard estimates.
“The lower the vacancy rate, the more repossessions there are, which clearly shows that repossessions are speculative transactions. If there are only a few units for rent, speculation is much stronger and rents rise much higher,” says Herr Blanchard after analyzing data from the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and TAL.
