A new bill tabled by the Minister responsible for Housing, Andrée Laforest, maintains clause F on rent increases, but reduces its application from five to three years.
This clause – which only applies to new constructions – allows certain landlords to impose abusive rent increases, without risking being sued before the Administrative Housing Tribunal (TAL).
At present, it only applies to dwellings built less than five years ago. The bill would increase that limit to three years.
In recent months, the media have reported several stories of abuse suffered by tenants because of this clause. Minister Laforest made a commitment in February to revise it.
Limits to the sale of community buildings to the private sector
Bill 37 tabled Wednesday also provides a mechanism to prevent non-profit organizations from selling social or community buildings without the Minister’s authorization.
The legislative text also grants municipalities a right of pre-emption that would allow them to acquire, as a priority, buildings newly put up for sale on their territory in order to develop projects.
It now remains to be seen what fate Bill 37 will suffer since there is only a little more than a week left before the end of the parliamentary session.
Further details will follow.
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