New online rent registry aims to help curb soaring prices in Quebec

Transparency and sharing rental market data are the keys to curbing soaring rent prices in Quebec, according to the organization Vivre en ville, which on Thursday presented a brand new rent registry.

Available at registredesloyers.quebec, the tool invites tenants to enter their current rent amount so that people who might rent in the future can see if the increase claimed by the landlord is reasonable or excessive.

The registry essentially plays the same role as Section G of rental leases, where landlords can enter the lowest cost of rent charged in the last year, except here, the tenants enter the information.

This type of tool, which could be adopted by the provincial government and municipalities, is essential to keep rent prices at a reasonable level, said Christian Savard, executive director of Vivre en ville.

"The housing crisis affects everyone in Quebec. It is a complex and difficult issue to resolve. That's why we believe that the Rent Registry can be a valuable tool for governments in their mission to protect tenants from abusive rent increases and curb real estate inflation. Rich in relevant information such as the price of rent, such a registry would help restore the balance of power between landlord and tenant, in addition to providing a reliable, accurate and up-to-date picture of the state of the rental market," he said in a statement.

AN "UNSUSTAINABLE" PACE

To justify the need for such a register, Vivre en ville also published the results of a survey conducted by the firm Léger Marketing which indicates that when moving, the cost of rent jumps on average by 19 per cent.

"This is an unsustainable rate, caused partly by the lack of information on previous rents," said Adam Mongrain, director of housing at Vivre en ville.

No less than 32 per cent of respondents would have no choice but to accept the rent price given the shortage of housing. The survey was conducted online from March 1 to 18 with 5,550 tenants. The results were weighted according to various factors so they would be representative of the Quebec population.

The survey also found that 83 per cent of tenants surveyed would be in favour of publishing their housing information anonymously on the Vivre en ville registry.

According to the survey, eight out of ten tenants do not know about section G on a lease, either because it has not been filled out or because they don't know if their landlord has filled it out.

The average amount paid for housing is $926, the survey shows; it was $807 when they signed the lease, said respondents, who paid an average of $781 a month for their previous dwelling.

This story was written with financial assistance from the Meta Fellowship and The Canadian Press for news.

This report was published in French by The Canadian Press on May 11, 2023.