The Minister responsible for Housing, France-Élaine Duranceau, will table a bill soon that will restore the balance between the rights of owners and tenants. The initiative is part of its housing action plan, which it will make public shortly.
The Minister made the announcement as part of her opening remarks for the day Acting together for housingan initiative headed by Centraide of Greater Montreal, which took place Monday in downtown Montreal.
“The government must act,” said the Minister in her speech. In the next few weeks, even days, I will unveil my housing action plan. You will find concrete measures achievable in the short term and others that will materialize in the longer term. In concrete measures, I will table a bill that aims to restore a better balance between tenants and landlords. »
This tabling of the bill is the culmination of the consultation tour carried out in recent weeks by the Minister’s parliamentary assistant, the MNA for Labelle, Chantale Jeannotte.
Details of the bill are not immediately known. In the past, the government of the Coalition avenir Québec had proposed to modify clause F of the mandatory lease, reducing from five to three years the period before a new dwelling becomes subject to the authority of the Tribunal administratif du logement (TAL ) in the fixing of rent.
The amendment to clause F could be reintroduced in the bill.
Tenants fear the worst
On the side of the groups for the defense of the rights of tenants, we are fearful. “It’s hard to know what’s coming, because MP Jeannotte has never contacted us,” says Cédric Dussault, spokesperson for the Regroupement des Comités Logement et Associations de Tenants du Québec (RCLALQ).
“To carry out a consultation without taking into account the provincial community group which represents the tenant party is tantamount to saying that it is not being considered,” continues the spokesperson. It makes us fear the worst for the bill. »
Mr. Dussault would like to see in the bill the imposition of a public and compulsory register of rents and a reinforcement of the provisions to prevent illegal evictions. He wants the TAL to oversee the entire housing repossession process, including verification of the reasons given leading to the repossession of the dwelling.
The owners want a return of the pendulum
On the side of the owners, the bill was expected. “We knew that by the end of May-beginning of June there would be a bill for consultations in the fall and adoption before the holidays,” says Marc-André Plante, director of public affairs and government relations at the Corporation of Quebec Property Owners (CORPIQ).
“You have to remember that in Quebec, we already have the most restrictive laws for owners of all existing legislation in the world,” says Mr. Plante, who was consulted by MP Jeannotte.
He regrets that the legislative framework has not undergone major reform since the 1980s. “We are at a crossroads and the status quo will hurt everyone,” he says. The more we contribute to a situation of lack of interest in owning property in Quebec, the more difficulty we will have in finding a balance between supply and demand. »
CORPIQ’s demands revolve around a reform of the by-law on the setting of rents, accelerated amortization of major work, a tightening of the measures surrounding the assignment of leases and permission to require a security deposit.
The Association of Real Estate Owners of Quebec, for its part, is waiting to learn about the bill before rejoicing. “We need to give more flexibility to owners. I can’t wait to see how it will be articulated in the bill, ”said its president, Martin Messier.