Housing crisis: Owner-occupied apartments up 150% in five years

The number of owners going to court to recover their homes has exploded by more than 150% in just five years. However, this is only the tip of the iceberg.

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“This is the third time this year that my landlord is trying to repossess his property. First it was to him, then to his wife and now to his mother. I can't take it anymore,” says one tenant in Montreal's east, who requested anonymity for fear of retribution.

Every two years, this mother of three young children receives a repossessing notice from the foreign owner.

“The first time, he decided he didn't want to get the apartment back. The second time the judge because he sent the letter too late [du Tribunal administratif du logement] ruled in my favour,” he explains.

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An explosion of cases

At the Administrative Housing Tribunal (TAL), the number of files opened by owners seeking to take housing increased from 1,061 in 2018-2019 to 2,693 in 2022-2023, a 151% increase in five years.

At East Montreal's Infologies Housing Committee, these statistics are no longer shocking. Thanks to an access-to-information request, the organization was able to see that in a small part of the territory it covers, attempts to repossess homes tripled in five years.

“It's not the total number of recoveries, but a fraction,” recalls Jean-Christophe Bureau, head of legal services for tenants.

In order for a file to be opened, the tenant must contest the expropriation and the owner must file an action with the Administrative Housing Tribunal. In many cases, tenants agree to leave without knowing their rights.

Speculative acquisition

And the increase in housing repossession cases is on the rise across the province, maintains Martin Blanchard of the Regroupement des Committees logement et des Associations de tenants du Québec (RCLALQ).

“Again this year, it went up in flames. Workers spend their whole day getting tenants who have received eviction notices,” he says, adding that this eviction technique is largely forgotten in the new Act 31.

Martin Blanchard, co-spokesman for Quebec's Regroupement des Lacements Committees and Tenants Association.

Clara Loiseau / JdeM

With Quebec's housing vacancy rate hitting its lowest level since 2003 at 1.3%, Mr. Blanchard estimates.

“The lower the vacancy rate, the more housing repossessions there are, which clearly shows that repossessions are speculative activity. When there are few units available for rent, speculation is very strong and rents rise very high,” said data from the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and TAL. Mr. Blanchard says after examining.