Quebec's rental board is warning residents that fake eviction notices may be circulating in the province.
Tenants in a Notre-Dame West rooming house were recently given eviction notices, claiming that the landlord had to do major work on the building, and tenants had one month to get out.
While the notice looked real, closer inspection revealed something that seemed off.
"When we were looking at it we saw there was many things that was not good in the eviction notice," POPIR Housing Committee's Sandrine Belley said.
According to Belley, the form looked like an official one from the housing board, but it was actually a fake.
"The form... they took it from the website of the Regie [du lodgement] but they counterfeit it so eviction notice would not be a legal term the Regie use."
In Quebec, a landlord must have a valid reason for an eviction, and give the tenant at least six months' notice before the lease expires.
For temporary evictions, tenants must be given six months' notice, as well as compensation.
The discovery of the fake notices has prompted the rental board to post a warning on its website, informing residents that fake eviction solicits are making the rounds.
"They contain information that does not conform with the law and is likely to mislead tenants as to their rights," the warning reads.
"A tenant is not required to comply with notices that don't conform to the law."
Belley recommends getting a second opinion if it's unclear whether an eviction notice is legitimate.
With files from Angela Mackenzie
