(Montreal) The Government of Quebec has been invited by Quebec solidaire (QS) to decree a cap on rent increases to help the hundreds of thousands of tenant households cope with the rising cost of living.
The spokesperson for the opposition party, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, maintains that certain rent increases are abusive. He points out that the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) noted in 2021 in Quebec an average increase in the price of rents well above what had been recommended by the Administrative Housing Tribunal (TAL). Mr. Nadeau-Dubois points out that housing is the most expensive expense for Quebec households.
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 6.9% year over year in Canada in October according to Statistics Canada, matching the rise recorded in September. Data for November has not yet been released.
QS Housing Manager, Andrés Fontecilla, adds that many landlords do not comply with the index recommended by the Housing Court. It signals to the government that a fight against inflation devoid of gestures to curb the explosion of rental prices is a shot in the dark.
Québec solidaire proposes to cap rent increases according to the rent fixing index revealed each January by the Administrative Housing Tribunal, which is not mandatory.
Andrés Fontecilla says it is a simple, effective and zero-cost solution to better manage rent increases and neutralize speculators who circumvent the rules to skyrocket rents.
Québec solidaire believes that its proposal provides that landlords who need to increase rent beyond the set rate can take steps to justify such an increase with the TAL, as is currently the case when tenants contest their increase in court rent.