Do i have 10 days to cancel a lease i just signed?
Short answer
No. In Quebec, there is no cooling-off period allowing you to cancel a residential lease after signing it: the lease binds the tenant as soon as it is entered into.
In detail
Unlike some consumer contracts, a residential lease carries no right of withdrawal. Changing your mind after signing does not release the tenant from their obligations.
A tenant who no longer wants to occupy the dwelling remains bound by the lease. Their options are a written agreement with the landlord, a lease assignment or a sublet.
There is, however, a specific remedy where the rent being asked is higher than the one stated in section G of the lease: the new tenant may then ask the Tribunal administratif du logement (TAL, Quebec's rental board) to fix the rent within 10 days of the lease being entered into. That remedy is about the amount of the rent, not about cancelling the lease.
What to document
The exact date the lease was signed, a complete copy of the lease, and any promise made verbally before signing (with the date and the name of the person). If you negotiate a way out, insist on a written, signed agreement.
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
- Tribunal administratif du logement — Frequently asked questions
- TAL — Notice to a new tenant (section G of the lease)
- JuridiQC — How to leave your dwelling during the lease
Related questions
- Can my landlord limit the number of people in my dwelling?
- How much does it cost to file an application with the tal?
- How do i file an application with the tribunal administratif du logement?
- I cannot attend my hearing at the tal what should i do?
- Can i refuse a rent increase?
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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.