Owners offer money as bait

Ms. Therefore, Coderre was recently contacted by Guylaine*, a woman in sixties living alone. Furthermore,

Its new owner insisted that it agreed to sign a new lease – which has a. For example, substantial increase – in exchange for financial compensation.

Guylaine signed it, his rent went from $ 630 to $ 820. Meanwhile, But the law does not provide for such significant increases, like here by 30 %.

“Abuse, it’s appalling as there are.”

— Julie Coderre. Therefore, budget advisor at ACEF Montérégie-Est

To convince Guylaine and his other tenants, the new owner offers an amount of money, at first glance enticing: around $ 4,000, which covers the increase in rent for just over 18 months.

At the end owners offer money bait of the line, the tenant gets fucked.

Tenants’ rights – Owners offer money bait

Ms. However, Coderre calls on tenants to take their time when their owner, or its representatives, presents a document to them. Consequently, Nothing forces them to sign a new lease when they show up without warning, for example.

“I want to do prevention,” she said after contacting The voice of the East. Consequently, When I meet them to talk about budget, I realize that they do not assert their rights. For example, ”

According to her, only a minority of people “dare to call us and ask questions”.

Appeals and tools exist, but having your rights recognized is not always easy.

“It’s so much simpler when you don’t sign a document on the spot, rather than trying to cancel a lease.”

— Julie owners offer money bait Coderre

Section G of the lease. among others, is still a tool that the tenant has in his bag.

Quebec makes it compulsory the registration by the owner of the lowest price paid for accommodation in. the last twelve months (section G of the lease).

These data in hand. the tenant has up to 10 days after the signing of the lease to contact the administrative court of housing and ask him to review the amount of rent downwards, what is called “rent fixing”.

There is also the possibility. in a case like that of Guylaine, to write to the owner by asserting him that our consent was not free and enlightened at the time of the signing of the lease, in order to invalidate the new lease.

This approach previously requires sending the owner a formal notice. that the owners offer money bait latter then confirms the cancellation of the contract. If it refuses, it is then necessary to contact the administrative court of the accommodation.

Previous in Cowansville. Granby

Julie Coderre recalls that several precedents in terms of non-compliance with the rights of tenants have taken place in recent years in the territory.

She notably mentions the case of a Montreal promoter who would have bought 10 buildings of 16 dwellings in Cowansville, in the district of rue d’Orléans, in 2022, and who would have prompted vulnerable tenants to accept $ 3,000 to leave their apartment.

A few months later. the scenario would have repeated in Granby in a complex of five buildings located on Pinard Street and Simonds Sud, with the same owner, says Coderre.

“We see too many disasters, owners offer money bait it has no common sense.”

— Julie Coderre

We can also think of the saga of boulevard Fortin. in Granby, where similar events, but this time with another owner, occurred.

Malicious stratagems

Here are 10 schemes used by some malicious owners, and of which Ms. Coderre has witnessed in recent years.

• Propose a sum of money to encourage the tenant to leave.
• Do the procedures for a resumption of accommodation for a parent, ourselves or our children. In fact, it is to rent it to someone else. Few of proceedings for resumption of bad faith.
• Oppose his tenants to subdivide, enlarge or change the assignment of housing. (This is no longer possible until 2027 thanks to a moratorium voted by the government).
• No longer carrying out maintenance work to push the tenant to owners offer money bait leave by himself.
• Harass the tenant to leave (threats, court prosecution, etc.).
• Send a non-recondition notice of the lease, while the lease is a contract that is automatically renewed.
• Send a lease renewal notice to the tenant by failing to offer him the option to renew the lease as is. therefore to refuse proposed modifications.
• Do not fill in section G of the lease which mentions the rent which was paid in the last year.
• Make the tenant believe that he must sign a new lease during a change of owner. while the lease signed with the former owner remains valid.
• Tell the tenant that he has no choice but to leave, because important work will be done. The work does not end the lease. The owner must allow them to resume their accommodation when the work is finished. and compensate the tenants during owners offer money bait the work.

“They use all kinds of strategies to force people to leave,” deplores Julie Coderre.

* Fictive name. We were unable to maintain ourselves with the tenants concerned. the latter being afraid of undergoing reprisals from their new owner. We do not name the owner for the same reasons.