Rent in Montreal rose by 27 per cent in 4 years: renters' group

Moving when you're a tenant has become a real obstacle course, according to the Quebec housing and tenants' rights group RCLALQ, which warns that the approach advocated by governments to building more housing won't make it any easier for people looking for an affordable place to live.

In a new report published on Wednesday, RCLALQ maintains that rental prices posted on various platforms have risen faster than inflation in recent years, making it increasingly difficult for tenants to find a new home.

In Montreal, for example, the average price of rents posted on Kijiji rose by 27 per cent from 2020 to 2024, according to the RCLALQ compilation. The situation is even worse in other Quebec cities, with increases of around 33 per cent in Quebec City, 44 per cent in Sherbrooke and 50 per cent in Trois-Rivières over the same period.

In light of this, RCLALQ is warning against thinking that building more housing will solve the affordability crisis. The group noted that the theory that wealthier tenants can move into more expensive apartments to free up affordable housing often fails to materialize.

"The problem is not that we're not building enough housing, but that we're building the vast majority of high-end rental units at unaffordable prices," stated the report, which is entitled "Moving out: a nightmare for tenants, a dream opportunity for landlords."

The RCLALQ therefore hopes that governments will put more energy into protecting tenants' rights, notably by imposing mandatory rent control, including a rent ceiling and a 'mandatory, universal and accessible' rent registry.

- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on June 19, 2024.