Montreal, May 12, 2022 --- The Association des Propriétaires du Québec (APQ) once again opposes Bill 993, An Act to amend the Civil Code in order to ensure greater protection for senior tenants against repossession of housing or evictions, filed today by Québec Solidaire.
The repossession of a housing is for a landlord one of the most restrictive processes in Quebec. Moreover, seniors have already been taken into account when Bill 492 came into force on June 10, 2016.
“This bill, which wants to further reduce the property rights of rental housing owners in Quebec, should simply be abandoned. There are already rules surrounding people aged 70 and over. It is time to address the real problems of the rental market, the problems that affect the entire population and also the owners of housings, such as the security deposit!” says Martin Messier, President of the APQ.
Although the Association des Propriétaires du Québec (APQ) is sensitive to the situation of vulnerable people, it considers that it would be completely unreasonable to adopt such a bill to further reduce the age and increase the income threshold for seniors. All this will only harm real-estate investment in Quebec by giving tenants a quasi-right for life.”
The repossession of a housing is one of the most restrictive processes for an owner; not just anyone repossesses a dwelling who wants to take it back,” adds the APQ.
Unlike for the repossession of any other property:
- the owner must respect time limits;
- repossession is limited to parents and children in the first degree;
- repossession is prohibited for the 70 years old and over under certain conditions;
- if the tenant does not accept, he is presumed to have refused and the Court must then
authorize the repossession;
- the landlord will have to pay compensation to the tenants in many cases;
- the owner must demonstrate the details of his project of repossession to the Court if needed.
The Association des Propriétaires du Québec (APQ) will make heard the voices of the thousands of rental housing owners whose rights have been reduced over the years. When will there be a reform that will rebalance everyone’s rights? The system in place in Quebec protects tenants a lot and the landlords’ recourse is difficult to apply in real life.
Founded in 1984, the Association de propriétaires du Québec (APQ) is the largest association to offer services to rental property owners. It has been serving rental housing owners in all regions of Quebec for over 35 years. In addition to offering, both to duplex or triplex owners and property managers, a tenant assessment service unique in Quebec.