In a move aimed at enhancing transparency and regulation in the rental market, the Quebec government has announced the implementation of the Quebec Rental Registry. This new requirement will impact property owners who own 8-PLEX buildings and landlords with 100 or more rental units. This article delves into the details of this upcoming regulation and its implications for landlords in Quebec.
What is the Quebec Rental Registry?
The Quebec Rent Registry, found at registredesloyers.quebec requires landlords to disclose the addresses of their units, monthly rent and unit features.
That information is already in the public domain because landlords have to report it to Revenu Québec each year. However, the new registry puts the info together in one publicly searchable database.
For tenants, the registry offers information to ensure rents are not unfairly increased.
For landlords, the registry offers information to see what the rents are in an area they may want to sell or purchase. For example, a seller in an owner-occupied unit may use it to set the rent value, or a buyer might use it to see what rent could be asked for the unit.
Not everyone is happy that the rent registry has been made public and easy to access.
According to Corporation des propriétaires immobiliers du Québec (CORPIQ), the new law will not solve Quebec’s housing problems. In a statement, the organization said “It’s worth noting that a lease registry has already been tried elsewhere, with resounding failures, notably in Ontario and Boston. In both cases, the effect on the rental property market was immediate, with the withdrawal of thousands of units of affordable housing and reduced investment in new construction.:
“At a time when massive housing construction is needed throughout Quebec, the creation of a rent registry is in no way a lasting solution to the housing crisis. On the contrary, a registry would slow down everyone’s efforts to rebalance supply and demand. What’s more, the registry will contribute to poor relations between landlords and tenants,” points out Marc-André Plante, CORPIQ’s Director of Public Affairs and Government Relations.
