My landlord is harassing me, what can I do?
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Short answer
Harassing a lessee is prohibited by article 1902 of the Civil Code of Québec, and the remedy that article opens is a claim for punitive damages before the Tribunal administratif du logement. The prohibition is not limited to the owner: the article opens with "Neither the lessor nor any other person may harass a lessee". The Tribunal publishes no form specific to harassment · the application is filed on the general "Application" form (TAL-001-E).
In detail
The article describes an effect, not a label. It covers harassment carried out "in such a manner as to limit his right to peaceable enjoyment of the premises or to induce him to leave the dwelling": either of those two results is enough to bring the conduct within the article. And the prohibition is addressed to "any other person", not to the lessor alone.
The second paragraph names the consequence, and it is a particular one: punitive damages. They are not the same thing as compensation for a loss suffered; they sanction the conduct itself. That is the remedy the text provides, and it is the conclusion set out in the application.
The Tribunal administratif du logement publishes no harassment form: the application goes through the general "Application" form (TAL-001-E), which asks for the address of the dwelling in question, the identification of the parties, the object of the application · that is, the conclusion sought · and the grounds, meaning the facts and arguments submitted to the Tribunal at the hearing. That general form does not apply to non-payment of rent, to a modification of the lease, or to a relocation indemnity and damages: each of those three has its own form.
Two exhibits follow the application: the supporting documents, or failing that the "List of exhibits" (TAL-100-E) stating that they are available on request; and proof of notification to the other party, which "must be added to the application file with the Tribunal within 45 days after the application is instituted". Article 1902 itself sets no time limit for acting.
What to document
The dates: of the notice, of its receipt, of each rent payment. A notice is proven by how it was sent; a payment, by the statement that carries it. The condition of the dwelling is photographed · an image carries its date, a recollection does not. And every exchange with the landlord or tenant keeps its timestamp.
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Official sources
- art. 1902 du Code civil du Québec (RLRQ c CCQ-1991) · read on 2026-08-09
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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.