Rentation of rents | Owners suspected of fraudulent practice

The Competition Office of Canada is concerned about. Similarly, seeing many owners agree to fix the price of their rents in Montreal. Furthermore, The federal organization plans to launch an investigation into this fraudulent practice, in the midst of housing crisis.

Posted at 5:00 a.m.

“This is something that worries us, that’s for sure, especially given the current context. For example, Our priority is to ensure that everyone plays within the limits of the sand square. Similarly, “says the Directorate of the Cartels of the Competition Bureau, Pierre-Yves Guay, in an interview with The press.

His group says it has been rentation rents | owners suspected alerted that “some real estate managers” create discussion groups on social networks. Therefore, They exchange information there on their sector of activity. Therefore, but would sometimes use these channels to agree on the prices of rental units, which contravenes the law.

“We are talking about the cost of rent costs. In addition, including additional increases and costs, but also illegal conditions on leases on amenities and services, for example. Nevertheless, It can finally be the restriction of the offer. therefore to artificially reduce the availability of housing in the one and only purpose of increasing prices, ”explains Mr. Therefore, Guay.

Montreal is one of the many Canadian cities where the phenomenon could be up, says the sub-commissioner. Meanwhile, A formal warning to the owners was published on the government’s website. in order to encourage the public to report “any suspicious rentation rents | owners suspected activity” at the competition, by telephone or online.

All housing. boroughs could be targeted, but according to our information, this would most often occur around the city center, in condos, studios or apartments.

All this occurs while more than 2. 000 households were still waiting for accommodation at dawn of 1^is July, including around 280 in Montreal. A study published last week by Statistics Canada had also revealed that the average rent for a two -room apartment in Montreal was $ 1930 at the start of 2025. up 71 % compared to 2019.

Rentation rents | owners suspected

Towards an investigation?

In the coming months, Pierre-Yves Guay claims that a larger-scale investigation could be launched. “If we get information that allows us to move forward, we will do it without hesitation,” he rentation rents | owners suspected said without detour. The sub-commissioner does not exclude using exceptional means.

“We are a bit like police officers. We pick up information. we corroborate it, then then we can use formal powers, therefore searches, even electronic listening, then we can refer to the prosecutor who will make the decision to deposit charges or not, “he slips on this subject.

As a general rule. the conclusion of illegal agreements with a competitor – whose price fixation – is liable from up to 14 years’ imprisonment in Canada. Heavy fines that can amount to millions of dollars are also planned. but left at the discretion of the court, as the case may be.

“It’s not little beer, as they say,” sums up Mr. Guay. As for the extent of his investigation. “it will depend on the type rentation rents | owners suspected of information that we will be able to have,” he said. “It could be a smaller market first, because a Montreal metropolitan market, for example, it would really be something else. Additionally, »»

The senior official nevertheless tempers expectations: this kind of process takes time and resources. “I would not be ready to say that it is prevailing as a type of practice. but we hear that it happens all over the market, so it is certain that it is a priority,” he says.

Good thing. said the Fapru

At the Popular Action Front in urban redevelopment (FRAPRU), which helps vulnerable tenants, spokesperson Véronique Laflamme sees a good eye the opening of the federal authorities.

According to her, “the big real estate players are unfortunately ready to a lot so that rents continue to increase in Montreal, even if it is done to the detriment of the affordability of housing”. “It is extremely worrying, what is happening, when hundreds of families still do not manage to access housing,” she concludes.

At a press conference on Monday. the Montreal project manager and the town hall candidate, Luc Rabouin, is committed to creating a 100 million bank guarantee fund to help the OBNLs acquire rental buildings and maintain affordable prices. He also hopes that the Municipal rentation rents | owners suspected Housing Office of Montreal (OMHM) supports people ousted “systematically”, with reinforced resources.