A Montrealer claims to have been the victim of an “eviction dishonest” from his former landlord, who allegedly convinced him to leave and then increased the rent by $715 per month.
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Raed lived for 7 years in the same apartment in Plateau–Mont-Royal. Last December, like other tenants in his eight-unit building, he received an eviction notice from his landlord.
The reason given: renovations and expansion of the accommodation where Raed lived.
Last February, after negotiations with his former landlord, the tenant finally agreed to vacate the premises, in exchange for $8,000.
Almost double the price
But just two weeks ago, Raed discovers that his old home has already been put back on the market. To his surprise, the apartment was not extended and he did not change assignments, as claimed in the eviction notice.
You should know that a landlord can evict a tenant who pays his rent for two reasons only: the repossession of the dwelling for the landlord or a member of his close family or for the enlargement, subdivision or change of use of the dwelling. .
However, in the photos posted on Facebook with the announcement, only changes of an aesthetic nature, particularly in the kitchen, seem to have been made since Raed’s departure. A wall would also have been added to the living room to create a new bedroom.
What has changed significantly, however, is the price of rent, which has gone from $980 to $1,695 per month, an increase of about 73%. This means that the next person to occupy Raed’s old apartment will pay $8,580 more per year for substantially the same accommodation.
“It’s annoying,” laments Raed, who says he went through a lot of stress with the move and the search for new accommodation. For him, there is no doubt: he was the victim of a “dishonest eviction”.
Contacted by telephone, the owner of the building hung up on the representative of 24 hours.
A new standard?
In a context of housing crisis, such “bad faith evictions” have become common in this popular borough, deplores Vicky Langevin, community organizer of the Plateau-Mont-Royal Housing Committee.
In recent years, what more and more landlords want is no longer to keep long-term tenants who are good payers, but rather to get rid of them so that they can increase the rent, she regrets. .
And to achieve their ends, some go so far as to invent a takeover of housing by a family member or major work, she explains.
Nevertheless, Vicky Langevin welcomes the tightening of the rules in several boroughs, including Le Plateau–Mont-Royal, to obtain an expansion or subdivision permit.
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What to do if this happens to you?
If you think you find yourself in a situation similar to that of Raed, Vicky Langevin suggests first talking about it with the other tenants of the building.
“The tenant may not be the only one to have received an eviction notice for expansion or a repossession,” she says.
Teaming up with neighbors can sometimes be reassuring and stress-reducing, she adds.
Vicky Langevin also suggests contacting a housing committee which can give you legal information. A manager could also help you assess your options and initiate proceedings.