Tenants' group calls for vigilance against rent hikes in Quebec in 2022
A group suggests that tenants carefully examine their notice of rent increase and refuse any increase deemed abusive, on Wednesday, shortly after Quebec's administrative housing tribunal unveiled its average increase estimate.
The Regroupement des comités logement et associations de locataires du Québec notes in a press release that the rates "are not respected by landlords from the outset" and reminds tenants that all uncontested rent increases are legal even if they are higher than the percentages indicated by the Tribunal administratif du logement.
The association is asking Quebec to "make the use of these rates mandatory" in order to curb rent increases in Quebec.
"Contrary to what the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government claims, there is no rent control in Quebec since the burden of calculating rent increases rests on the shoulders of tenants," the association adds.
According to the tribunal's calculations, the basic increase would be, for example, 1.28 per cent in 2022 for an unheated dwelling, to which could be added an amount for an increase in municipal taxes or for major work.
In an example provided by the tribunal, a rent set at $1,000 for an unheated unit with a 5 per cent increase in municipal taxes and no major renovations would increase to $1,020 in 2022.
For owner-occupied heated dwellings, the base increase rates are set at 1.34 per cent for those heated by electricity, 1.91 per cent when heated by gas and 3.73 per cent when heated by oil.
In a separate press release, the Front d'action populaire en réaménagement urbain (FRAPRU) agrees with the group's proposals and stresses that "one can refuse a rent increase and remain in one's dwelling."
The organization believes that the pandemic and the "shortage of rental units," especially affordable ones, are likely to lead landlords to "take advantage of the situation" by asking for "abusive increases, expecting tenants to comply for fear of retaliation such as harassment or even eviction."
NOT HIGH ENOUGH, SAY LANDLORDS
For a group of landlords, the rent increases published on Wednesday by the tribunal are "not high enough when inflation has had such an impact on landlords over the past year."
The Corporation des propriétaires immobiliers du Québec (CORPIQ) believes that in the event of a dispute, a landlord could obtain a judgment allowing him or her to increase the rent by about 2 per cent, but that it could go up to 5 per cent if the increases in municipal taxes, insurance and energy costs are "more pronounced."
The association says that the base rent increase is "much lower than overall inflation," while inflation "has simply exploded."
"Materials and labour costs have caused maintenance and renovation expenses to jump by about 25 per cent this year, and that's after the first year of the pandemic that had already inflated construction costs," CORPIQ wrote. "Unfortunately, the calculation grid continues to penalize owners and discourage maintenance and renovation."
The Tribunal administratif du logement has an interactive form on its website to calculate a rent increase.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Jan. 19, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Another suspect arrested in Toronto Pearson airport gold heist: police
Another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year, police say.
Poilievre-led government 'would never' use notwithstanding clause on abortion, his office says
A Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre would not legislate on, nor use the notwithstanding clause, on abortion, his office says, as anti-abortion protesters gather on Parliament Hill.
Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Miss Teen USA steps down just days after Miss USA's resignation
Miss Teen USA resigned Wednesday, sending further shock waves through the pageant community just days after Miss USA said she would relinquish her crown.
Cyclist strikes child crossing the street to catch school bus in Montreal
A video circulating on social media of a young girl being hit by a bike has some calling for better safety and more caution when designing bike lanes in the city. The video shows a four-year-old girl crossing Jeanne-Mance Street in Montreal's Plateau neighbourhood to get on a school bus stopped on the opposite side of the street
Trump hush money trial: Play-by-play on Day 2 of Stormy Daniels testimony
Adult film star Stormy Daniels took the stand for a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump's hush money case continues in Manhattan.
B.C. wildfires likely to spread with weekend temperatures expected to soar, province says
Wildfire and emergency management officials in British Columbia are urging residents to be prepared for increased fire activity as temperatures are expected to soar above 30 C in parts of the province this weekend.