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Some Quebec landlords frustrated at having to clean disaster apartments post moving day

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A week after Quebec's moving day, landlord Manuela Destro was not expecting a major cleanup after her tenant moved out.

"He left everything for my husband and I to do," she said.

The couple owns a triplex in Ville-Emard, and Destro said she gave her tenant six months' notice so that her son could move in.

Destro said the tenant agreed to leave.

"He took his clothes and his cat, but he left a full fridge of food, [and] he left all the appliances in there," she said. "Paint cans, bed with the sheets still on it, comforter."

Now, Destro will spend the better part of two weeks sifting through the apartment.

"We called around to places, and it's between you're looking at $700-$1000 to have somebody remove everything for you," she said.

Quebec's landlord association says this is a common story.

"A third of the units we get back on July 1st are left in a state that cannot be used immediately, that need deep cleaning," said Quebec Landlord Association CEO Martin Messier.

He said for this and other reasons, a security deposit is an answer, which is not something landlords can charge in Quebec.

"We think that is the incentive that is missing to make sure that, just like in a hotel room, you leave the place in a good condition when you leave," said Messier

Tenants rights group RCLALQ says there are responsibilities when tenants move out.

"Of course, there are anecdotes of tenants who leave the apartment in bad shape or leave their stuff, but we also have on our side thousands of anecdotes of landlords pushing tenants, putting pressure on tenants," said Cedric Dussault of the RCLALQ.

Dussault would like to see major changes to Quebec's rental rules as well, like a rent registry.

"This is a tool that can be used in order to control the rents, and this is a tool that could be especially useful when there is a change of tenant," he said.

Destro said she's taking the issue to the housing tribunal to try to recoup any losses.  

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