The Association des propriétaires du Québec (APQ) wants the parties to announce realistic, non-electioneering commitments that will actually respond to the rental market and that can, this time, be delivered.
Housing is a major issue for the parties, but each one is putting forward a vision and solutions that do not match the realities of the market.
We see announcements involving tens of thousands of housing units to be built or bought back, with each party citing a different figure, even though they are all working from the same studies, such as those from the CMHC or from real estate forecasts.
It is time to commit to a full-scale public forum on housing (états généraux) and a timeline for putting it into action.
Each party has its own convictions and voters to satisfy, but that is not how we come together and find solutions as a group.
The Association des propriétaires du Québec (APQ) wants the dialogue and the solutions to focus on the following areas:
- Firm opposition to rent control measures
Rejection of a rent freeze: The APQ has firmly opposed calls for a rent freeze made by tenant associations or certain political parties (such as Québec solidaire), arguing that this fails to account for the inflation borne by landlords (cost of materials, insurance, energy).
- Rejection of a public lease registry: The association reiterated its opposition to the creation of a mandatory rent registry, calling it needless bureaucracy that does not solve the problem of access to housing.
- Modernization and efficiency of the Tribunal administratif du logement (TAL)
Reduced wait times: The APQ called for legislative changes to speed up the processing of cases at the TAL, in particular for non-payment of rent files and cases involving bad-faith tenants who file abusive proceedings to buy time.
- Security deposit: Although this is a long-standing request, the APQ continued to press for the legalization of security deposits at lease signing to cover any potential material damage to the dwelling.
- Financial support for renovating the housing stock
- Support for energy-efficient renovations: Given the demands of the green transition, the APQ wanted to see significant provincial grants or tax credits put in place to help landlords maintain and modernize an aging housing stock without being financially overwhelmed.
Housing is a major issue for the parties, but each one is putting forward a vision and solutions that do not match the realities of the market.
We see announcements involving tens of thousands of housing units to be built or bought back, with each party citing a different figure, even though they are all working from the same studies, such as those from the CMHC or from real estate forecasts.
It is time to commit to a full-scale public forum on housing (états généraux) and a timeline for putting it into action.
Each party has its own convictions and voters to satisfy, but that is not how we come together and find solutions as a group.
The Association des propriétaires du Québec (APQ) wants the dialogue and the solutions to focus on the following areas:
- Firm opposition to rent control measures
Rejection of a rent freeze: The APQ has firmly opposed calls for a rent freeze made by tenant associations or certain political parties (such as Québec solidaire), arguing that this fails to account for the inflation borne by landlords (cost of materials, insurance, energy).
- Rejection of a public lease registry: The association reiterated its opposition to the creation of a mandatory rent registry, calling it needless bureaucracy that does not solve the problem of access to housing.
- Modernization and efficiency of the Tribunal administratif du logement (TAL)
Reduced wait times: The APQ called for legislative changes to speed up the processing of cases at the TAL, in particular for non-payment of rent files and cases involving bad-faith tenants who file abusive proceedings to buy time.
- Security deposit: Although this is a long-standing request, the APQ continued to press for the legalization of security deposits at lease signing to cover any potential material damage to the dwelling.
- Financial support for renovating the housing stock
- Support for energy-efficient renovations: Given the demands of the green transition, the APQ wanted to see significant provincial grants or tax credits put in place to help landlords maintain and modernize an aging housing stock without being financially overwhelmed.