Repossession of a dwelling in Montréal
Repossession of a dwelling is a hot topic in Montréal, where soaring property prices are prompting a growing number of landlords to take back units to live in or house a relative. In neighbourhoods where property values have exploded (Mile-End, the Plateau, Villeray) repossessions have become a tool for displacing long-time tenants.
Québec law tightly regulates repossession, and Montréal tribunals have built up an extensive body of case law on the subject. The landlord has to show a real, good-faith intention to occupy the unit. "Fake repossessions," where the unit is put back on the market at a higher price after the tenant leaves, are penalized by the TAL (Tribunal administratif du logement).
If you receive a repossession notice in Montréal, don't panic. You have the right to refuse, and it's then up to the landlord to apply to the TAL for authorization. Montréal's housing committees have deep expertise in repossessions and can assess how solid your landlord's case really is.
Local resources in Montréal
- Bureau du TAL · Montréal :Olympic Village, 5199 rue Sherbrooke Est
- Comité logement de la Petite Patrie :Free help for tenants
- RCLALQ :Québec-wide network of housing committees and tenant associations
- TAL office in Montréal: address and hours
Your remedies
As a tenant in Montréal, you have the same protections as every tenant in Quebec under the Civil Code of Québec and the Act respecting the Tribunal administratif du logement. You can send a demand letter to your landlord, file an application with the TAL, or turn to local community resources to guide you through the process.
To learn more about your rights and the steps to follow, see our complete guide on repossession of a dwelling.