Tenants feel pressured to leave Saint-Laurent apartment during landlord’s renovation

Tenants in an apartment building in Saint-Laurent say they are being pressured to leave after receiving notice from their landlord about major renovations in the building.

But according to a lawyer, the documents they were asked to sign don’t comply with Quebec housing law and that could be a problem for them.

Renovation work has already started at some units in the building but tenants say the inconveniences have been going on for months.

“It started with the heating cut off on the weekends. Hot water — no having access for it for two days,” tenant Marouane Cherifi told CTV News.

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Renters say they were approached at their doors and told major work would require them to relocate.

“They don’t tell us how much time it’s going to [take], how much time we need to be relocated, and what are the conditions of our return?” Cherifi said.

“He tells you, OK, you gonna move out? But when you gonna move in your apartment, you have to accept the conditions. What’s the condition? we don’t know,” claimed Djaffar Chalal, another tenant.

Work permits are posted in the building for repairs on floors and walls and to make room for laundry machines. Some tenants also got a notice promising if they left, then they would receive compensation and lodging during the work.

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But a section at the bottom of the notice says, if signed, the parties give each other a full and final release with respect to recourse arising from the relocation.

Housing lawyer Sarah Debbih says it essentially means their leases can be terminated.

“This type of notice does not appear to comply with Quebec law,” said Debbih.

If they sign these documents, it will be problematic because the landlord will say, actually, they signed it so we can apply what it is signed," she said.

The local housing group has consulted many of the tenants and says everything should be done in writing.

“What I tell them is not to say anything, not to confront them, not to give them the chance to speak to them and not to argue with them,” said Maria Vasquez of the Comite logement Saint-Laurent.

She says unless this document — available on the housing tribunal’s website — is presented in writing, tenants don’t have to leave.

Renters say they felt pressured to sign, and some have refused to do so, worried that if they do leave, their lease conditions would change and they might not be able to come back.

“I don’t want to leave, I want to stay because I have my babies, they go to school, I have my jobs, my wife has a job around,” said tenant Antoine Kabandana.

CTV News tried to reach the owner of the building but did not hear back before publication time.

“It’s very stressful because you have to spend most of your time thinking about what’s going to happen,” said Cherifi.

Tenants have banded together and brought their cases to the housing tribunal. While they wait for a ruling, they are living here for now worried about what happens next.