Montreal warns tenants to think twice before moving this year

A woman reaches up to remove a for rent sign in Montreal, Tuesday, July 1, 2014, on what's now known as moving day in Quebec. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press)

The City of Montreal is reminding tenants of their rights in anticipation of record rent hikes and a deeply strained rental stock.

For those whose leases renew July 1, landlords have to send their rent augmentation notices by March 31. Tenants then have one month to respond.

The city reminds tenants they are allowed to refuse any rent hike and can try to negotiate with their landlord. If a tenant refuses the augmentation, it’s up to the landlord to open a file with the rental board (TAL), which will then set the rent.

“Understanding your rights is crucial to avoiding difficult situations,” the city said in a news release.

In January, the TAL approved an average increase of 5.9 per cent — the biggest single-year rent hike in the last 30 years. For a tenant paying $1,000 per month, that’s an extra $708 that year.

And that’s for tenants who want to stay in their apartments.

According to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) data for 2024, the average rent increase was much higher for apartments that turned over to new tenants (18.7 per cent) than for those where a lease was renewed (4.7 per cent).

Montreal is warning tenants to think twice before leaving their apartments this year because there’s a lack of available affordable units.

“The shortage of affordable housing in Montreal is real. If you decide to move, start looking now because affordable housing is in short supply,” the city said.

Montreal’s vacancy rate has increased slightly to 2.1 per cent in the last year but newer buildings, where rents are significantly high, make up most of the available stock.

Every year, Montreal offers rehousing services to those who can’t find a place by the time their lease ends. Last July, the Société d’habitation du Québec (SHQ) reported more than 1,500 Montreal households were without a lease. The city hopes to help lower that number through its information campaign

As of Dec. 27, 2024, more than 14,000 households are on the Office Municipal D’Habitation De Montréal (OMHM)‘s waitlist for social housing.

Montreal urges tenants to visit its website, where a tool developed by the OMHM lists available units by number of rooms and by price. Vivre En Ville also has a rental registry, which is a good indicator of rental costs in a given area.

Tenants can reach out to their local housing committee if they need help.