Montreal Tenant Facing Barriers When Trying To Fight Rent Hike

Montreal tenants have faced grave difficulties during the pandemic and before – as forced evictions, also known as "renovictions" are on the rise and rent is increasing rapidly each month, forcing tenants out of neighbourhoods they've lived in for years and even decades. And sometimes Montrealers aren't just experiencing being forced out, but they're experiencing unsafe and illegal conditions imposed by their landlord.

Gladys Etheridge, a tenant who lives in a building in Milton Parc, says she’s being exploited by her landlord and parts of her lease are illegal. The building is managed by property management group COGIR which owns 156 apartment buildings across Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia.

She says parts of her lease are illegal – adding that she was desperate for housing and at the time, and didn’t know she signed a pact with the devil. 

She says she's lived in this building for 2 years now and is facing a rent increase. While legal, she says the increase is under the premise of maintenance, but says the building doesn't keep up with both maintenance and cleaning.

Etheridge says the building has 3 people to clean 3 of their Milton Parc buildings and that it’s not enough.

She's trying to fight a rent increase, but says she missed her tribunal date because the building had not repaired broken mailboxes. 

Etheridge, among other tenants in the building, signed a petition to demand better conditions from COGIR.

Local 514 reached out to COGIR for comment. 

Brigitte Pouliot, the communications director, said COGIR received a letter of dissatisfaction from tenants in their buildings located in Milton Parc, adding that COGIR believes in respecting the environment of their tenants. 

COGIR will be meeting with the Montreal Autonomous Tenants’ Union on July 9. The union said COGIR was initially unwilling to meet, but became open after the Union and COGIR tenants visited their office on June 2nd.

Pouliot said all work on their Octopus platform has been completed, but the Union said some requests have been ignored and tenants are still dealing with ants, mold, holes in walls and floors, broken dryers and more. But tenants say there are still incomplete necessary repairs.

She added that mail is delivered as usual despite broken mailboxes.