Can i refuse a rent increase?
Short answer
Yes. In Quebec, a tenant may refuse the proposed increase and stay in the dwelling: they must reply to the landlord in writing within one month of receiving the notice.
In detail
When a landlord wants to raise the rent, they send a notice of modification of the lease. The tenant has one month from the receipt of the notice to reply. Three replies are possible: accept, refuse and stay in the dwelling, or leave at the end of the lease.
The refusal must be in writing and sent to the landlord. If the tenant does not reply within the month, the law treats them as having accepted the increase, and the lease is renewed on the new terms.
After a refusal, it is up to the landlord to apply to the Tribunal administratif du logement (TAL, Quebec's rental board) to have the rent fixed, and the landlord has one month to do so. If nothing is filed within that time, the lease is renewed without the increase.
Two exceptions: in a housing cooperative, or in a building built or converted 5 years ago or less, a tenant who refuses the modification must leave at the end of the lease.
What to document
The exact date you received the notice (envelope, email, a photo of the notice), a copy of the notice, and a dated copy of your written reply together with proof that it was sent. That is what shows you acted within the one-month time limit.
Put your facts in writing, free. Writing your version down early, keeping your documents dated and preparing your questions for a lawyer: the tool is there to document, never to advise.
Open the application Up to 3 files, no card · see the plans
Official sources
- JuridiQC — Refusing a rent increase: how to do it
- Tribunal administratif du logement — Frequently asked questions
- TAL — Modification of a condition of the lease
Related questions
- How long do i have to reply to a notice of rent increase?
- When must my landlord send me the notice of rent increase?
- If i refuse the rent increase do i have to move out?
- How do i know if a rent increase is too high?
- My landlord did not send a notice of rent increase does the lease renew?
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What this page is not
This is general legal information about the law of Quebec and Canada, dated and sourced. It is not legal advice, not a strategy, and not a prediction about the outcome of a case. In Quebec, only lawyers and notaries may give legal advice (Act respecting the Barreau du Québec, ss. 128 and 133). Laws and amounts change: the official source always prevails over us.