MONTREAL -- A group of residential owners say that some tenants whose lease ends July 1 continue to occupy their residences without authorization, which in some cases jeopardize new tenants’ moves.
The landlords corporation of Quebec (CORPIQ) said that occupation without rights usually allows the owner to obtain an emergency hearing at the Régie du logement, followed by an eviction order in a few weeks.
However, CORPIQ reported that with the Quebec government’s three-month ban on evictions at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and the accumulation of requests, the waiting times to obtain a hearing and a decision are unknown.
CORPIQ spokesperson Hans Brouillette says that a tenant who blocks the arrival of another who holds a valid lease is liable to prosecution.
According to CORPIQ, during the 2018-2019 fiscal year, there were 438 eviction requests waiting for a Régie du logement hearing, the highest total since 1993.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 1, 2020.
