Moving has become a ‘nightmare’ for tenants in Quebec: RCLALQ report

Moving has become a challenge in Quebec, according to a report by the Regroupement des committees logement et associations de tenants du Québec (RCLALQ).

The group warns that the governments approach to build more housing will not make it easier – but harder for people looking for an affordable place to live.

In a new report published Wednesday, the RCLALQ maintains that rent prices have increased faster than inflation in recent years, making it difficult for tenants to find a new home.

For example, in Montreal, the average rent prices on Kijiji increased by 27 per cent from 2020 to 2024 – according to the RCLALQ.

The situation is worse in other parts of the province, like Quebec City at 33 per cent, Sherbrooke at 44 per cent and 50 per cent in Trois-Rivières – during the same period.

The group explained that although wealthier tenants can move into more expensive apartments, which in theory, could free up affordable housing, it rarely happens.

“The problem isn’t that we’re not building enough housing, but that the vast majority are building high-end rental housing at unaffordable prices,” reads the report called ‘Moving: a nightmare for tenants, a dream opportunity for owners.’

RCLALQ hopes that governments will put more energy into protecting tenants’ rights by imposing mandatory rent control, including a rent cap and a “compulsory, universal and accessible” rent registry.

The report also highlights several pitfalls that stand in the way of tenants who wish to move, like the number of properties owned by a small number of real estate companies, rental tourism, the monopolization of the rental stock by companies and discriminatory practices in the selection of tenants.

“To act against the crisis, there are no better ways to protect tenants. We hope that the Quebec government will eventually open its eyes, and quickly,” said RCLALQ spokesperson Cédric Dussault in a press release.

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews