Rent increase of 5.9%: François Legault has no intention of intervening

Despite the suggestion of a substantial 5.9 per cent increase in rental prices from the Tribunal administratif du logement (TAL), Premier François Legault does not intend to intervene as requested by the Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ).

According to the head of government, the solution to ending the housing crisis is to increase supply.

“Our help will be to continue to build affordable housing and to continue to have more families who are eligible for programs, such as Accès logis. (…) I remind you that we help more than 100,000 families pay their rent,” he said at a press briefing on Wednesday.

Although he recognizes that the increase will be “very hard for some people,” Legault does not think that it is up to the state to intervene, because housing is in the “private sector” and the TAL is an “independent tribunal.”

The TAL suggests an average increase in rental prices of 5.9 per cent in 2025, a marked jump compared to the growth estimate of recent years.

This is the estimate for a basic unheated dwelling. According to this hypothesis, a tenant who pays $1,000 in rent could see their bill climb to $1,059 when their lease is renewed.

Last year, the rent increase projection was 4 per cent, while it was 2.3 per cent in 2023 and 1.28 per cent in 2022.

“This is unacceptable!”

Earlier Wednesday, interim Liberal leader Marc Tanguay called on the Legault government to intervene to reduce the increase in rental prices, as it did to cap hydroelectricity rates at 3 per cent.

“The 5.9 per cent increase in rents that will be allowed does not pass the test. It is unacceptable!” This needs to be reviewed. The minister can act; the Legault government can act on this, but they won’t,” he said on the sidelines of his party’s caucus in Estrie.

Asked to clarify his thoughts, Tanguay said the government has already done so with the Régie de l’énergie for hydroelectricity rates.

“The government can decide to come and help Quebecers on an ad hoc basis. This rent increase will indeed have a major impact on the budgets of thousands of Quebecers starting July 1. (…) We can’t sit back and do nothing. This decision, this impact, needs to be reviewed,” he added.

The Liberal leader is therefore going further than his housing critic, Virginie Dufour, who said Tuesday: “I don’t think it’s possible to intervene at this stage and reduce an increase.”

The PLQ is also asking to change the way in which the suggested increase in the TAL is calculated.

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews