Montreal, September 8, 2022 --- The Association des Propriétaires du Québec (APQ) takes note of the recommendations of the Commission on Economic and Urban Development and Housing concerning the responsible owner certification and the rent registry project.
The Association des Propriétaires du Québec (APQ), which has opposed this certification since its announcement, is disappointed with the recommendations issued that go even further than the initial draft regulation:
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R-1. Proceeds with the implementation of the Responsible Owner certification and the rent register and strengthens the actions undertaken to maintain the cleanliness, affordability and quality of the rental stock in Montreal.
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R-3. Intensifies representations to the Government of Québec so that a rent register is established all throughout Quebec, for the entire rental stock of Quebec, and that the data contained in the City of Montréal’s register is integrated into it, so that in the long term the Québec register becomes the only register.
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R-7. Extends the application of responsible owner certification and rent register to buildings with 6 or more units.
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R-11. Implements the tools to collect information about the amount of rent each year, requiring landlords to declare the amount of each of their rents to keep their certification up to date.
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R-12. Implements a process to verify the data contained in the register and acquire the technological and human resources necessary to validate and process the data collected.
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R-14. Promotes to citizens who do not have access to the Internet the stations accessible in libraries, in each of the boroughs, to consult the rent register.
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R-15. Ultimately, and as long as a Quebec register is not in place, extends the obligation to declare the amount of rent in the rent register to all Montreal rental building owners, regardless of the number of units they hold.
The only positive recommendation is:
For the Association des Propriétaires du Québec (APQ), a lease register is simply inappropriate. Tenants here are already among the most protected in the world. Moreover, the provision that aims to maintain the price of housing following the departure of the tenant must be abolished, quite simply. Protection is granted to the tenant in place, but in addition to this the tenant can ask that the rent be reduced to a lower price while he has freely negotiated and signed a contract, i.e. the lease! It is simply outrageous to flout freedom of contract in such a way.
There are already several regulations and laws in force without having to add new obligations by the City of Montreal, adding inadequate obligations. The Administrative Housing Tribunal (TAL) and the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) already have as their mandate the supervision of buildings.
“All these recommendations will only further discourage rental property owners and those who would like to become owners. And the questions raised by the APQ when tabling its recommendations remain unanswered,” says Martin Messier, President of the APQ.
“The Association des Propriétaires du Québec (APQ) wants the City to detail and find alternative solutions for buildings whose insalubrity is due to certain tenants: How will the City be able to refuse the certificate to the owner when the latter has taken action and suffered harm?” concludes the APQ.
The Association des Propriétaires du Québec (APQ) will follow the hearing of the recommendations tonight in the hope that some recommendations will be abandoned by the Executive Committee of the City of Montreal.
