Projet Montreal Fails to Save Tenants in Montreal

In the Montreal's last municipal election, housing was a concern for 60% of voters 35 and under. So has Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante's administration addressed the issues of housing in the city?

The average rent for a one bedroom unfurnished apartment rose sharply in Montreal – a $75 increase from June to July. This is much steeper than hikes in Toronto and Vancouver during the same period. From 2020 to 2021 alone, there has been around a 50% increase in Montreal tenants forced out of their apartments.

Projet Montreal has released the landlord registry, intended to document landlords' rent hikes and living conditions they provide, but this will not be in effect until 2027. But with the situation changing so much – will this really hold landlords accountable?

Local 514 speaks to tenants who say they are being neglected by their landlord and looks at how tenants have mobilized together for better conditions in their Milton Parc apartment owned by property management group COGIR.

Melina*, a McGill student who lives in a building in Milton Parc says she’s being exploited by her landlord. The building is managed by property management group COGIR which owns 156 apartment buildings across Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia.

She says her rent is being raised by $60 under the pretense of maintenance costs, but says the landlords are not conducting maintenance in the building.

Gladys Etheridge, who also lives in a building owned by COGIR, has had issues too. 

She says she has lived in the building for two years and moved in at a time she was desperate for housing. She said she didn’t know she signed a pact with the devil, adding that some of the clauses in the lease are illegal.

Like Melina, Etheridge is facing a rent increase. She says she is trying to fight it, but says she missed her tribunal date because the building had not repaired broken mailboxes. 

Both Malina and Gladys, among other tenants in this building and two others across Milton Parc, signed a petition demanding that the owners address issues within the apartment, cover repairs without asking tenants to pay for them, and reduce rent. 

Malina said the property manager allegedly said most of the people who signed the petition have moved out of the building so it would not be considered.

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 our tenants. 

COGIR will be meeting with the Montreal Autonomous Tenants’ Union on July 9, but 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. 

She added that mail is delivered as usual despite broken mailboxes and added that in regards to the heating issue, the building and heating system is old and does not adapt to rapidly changing temperatures.

In the last municipal election, housing was a top concern for 60% of voters 35 and under.

But has Projet Montreal delivered better support for tenants since the party's re-election last fall?

In their campaign, they promised a landlord registry, which would require landlord owning property housing units of 8 or more to register their spaces online in a public record. Landlords  will have to disclose rent prices, vacancy, proof of inspections, if the building is up to code, if it’s free of vermin, and if they have taken care of any essential repairs or repairs that need to be completed.

Property owners who do not register may face fines from $250 to $650 for the first offence. The second offence can be as high as $2,500.

But what if landlords are dishonest? 

Public consultations on this project have just taken place. The city told Local 514 they are now in the analysis stage to put in place the best possible regulation.

Fabienne Papin, Communications Officer for the City of Montreal told Local 514 to ensure the information documented in the registry is accurate, random inspections or any other form of adequate follow-up will be carried out by the City.

Papin says if any of the information listed in the registry is false, if it turns out that the information provided to the City by the owner is false, the owner is liable to fines and their certification can be revoked.

*Local 514 has agreed to grant Melina a pseudonym and anonymity over the fear her landlord will seek retaliation.