Rising evictions, Bill 31 and rising rent prices: A spokesman for a group of housing committees laments a “disastrous” year for renters in 2023.
• Also read: Record number of evictions in 2023
Frontline workers helping tenants are seeing a significant increase in the number of evictions.
According to the Regroupement of Housing Committees and Tenants Associations of Quebec (RCLALQ), 3,531 cases of evictions have been reported in Quebec.
Two legal tactics allow an owner to evict a tenant, namely the ability to repossess the apartment for yourself or a member of your immediate family and an exception to the Civil Code.
“The exception […] “It is permitted to enlarge, subdivide or change the use of an apartment,” says Cédric Dussault.
In an interview on LCN, Mr. Dussault criticizes landlords who nevertheless use two other “totally illegal and rash” tactics to encourage their tenants to head for the exit door.
Several tenants have left their homes due to “renovations” and claim that major work at the property required the tenant to withdraw.
“The other tactic is what we call undue pressure. This can manifest itself in harassment of the tenant by the landlord. Failure to carry out repairs in a home can cause the situation to worsen in a number of ways and the tenant ends up having enough and moving out on their own,” he adds.
“Impunity exists among owners and evictions are carried out without any real consequences. This is not surprising given that the number of evictions in Quebec is increasing rapidly.”
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Cédric Dussault recommends that the Legault government review the eviction process, which is “absolutely not controlled”.
The housing committees are demanding that the phenomenon be managed by the Administrative Housing Tribunal (TAL).
According to his spokesman, an owner should approach this court if he wants to evict the tenant.
At the end of the interview, Mr. Dussault did not mince his words regarding Minister Duranceau's Bill 31.
Photo Stevens LeBlanc
“The best improvement that could be made to Bill 31 would be to withdraw it entirely, because it is a bill that is highly problematic on several levels,” says the Quebecer.
“This is the first bill in more than 45 years to take away rights from tenants and take away their right to transfer a tenancy agreement. This is a bill that does absolutely nothing for tenants. […] The year 2023 was catastrophic for renters.”
*Watch the interview in the video above*