Montreal vows to ramp up rental inspections under new 'Responsible Landlord' program
The City of Montreal is promising to carry out more inspections of rental housing units to identify unsafe and unsanitary conditions in residential buildings under a new 'Responsible Landlord' program.
As affordable rental units become harder to find in Montreal, some tenants may find themselves stuck in unhealthy living conditions.
"Every time we hear a story about someone or a family being stuck in a non-sanitary apartment it breaks our heart. Like for us, it's terrible," Mayor Valerie Plante said Wednesday as she announced the new program.
The city says it hopes to change that. The new initiative targets building owners who aren't pulling their weight. Inspectors from the city's housing department and the boroughs are starting with buildings with more than 100 units.
Executive committee vice-chair Benoit Dorais says where there are clear problems inspectors will do a blitz inspection of the entire building.
"All together we will inspect 10,000 apartments in 2024," Dorais said.
Inspectors will outline problems that need to be fixed, from unsafe balconies to toxic mould and even pest infestations. Owners who don't comply can face hefty fines of between $500 and $10,000 dollars.
"We can give them fines and contact their financial institution if they don't follow up with the grid and the different things we said they should do," Plante added.
That means lenders and insurers may be alerted when buildings are in poor condition.
The city says it has added two more inspectors for a total of 18 but the opposition says that's not enough to meet the demand.
"When we take a look at the numbers with the inspectors that we have right now at the City of Montreal, it would take 60 years only to inspect the outside of the building of six units and more within the City of Montreal. So clearly there is a problem," said Julien Henault-Ratelle, the City Hall opposition housing critic.
The city says the program will also mean they'll have data on rental units in the city.
"And some of the landlords that we're keeping our eyes on," Plante said, though she adds the vast majority of building owners are doing a good job.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.