Quebec Passes 3-Year Moratorium on Evictions! Bill 65 Explained

Just two weeks after it was initially tabled, Bill 65, An Act to limit lessors’ right of eviction and to enhance the protection of senior lessees, was voted into Quebec law unanimously on June 6th 2024. The new law establishes a moratorium on evictions for the purposes of subdividiving an apartment, enlarging it substantially, or changing its destination for a period of three years—effectively banning lessors (landlords) from using renovations as a pretext for kicking out their lessees (tenants) until June 6th 2027. Any notice of eviction for these purposes that was received after June 6th 2024 is thus rendered invalid.

Bill 65 also amends the Civil Code of Quebec to provide further protection to low-income seniors facing evictions and repossessions, lowering the age of qualification from 75 to 65 years of age.

This is a huge victory for renters all across Quebec! Montreal in particular has been experiencing a housing crisis for some time now, with not enough affordable housing to meet the growing demand. Renovictions have also been at an all-time high: according to a December 2023 report by the Regroupement des comités logement et associations de locataires du Québec (RCLALQ), over 3,530 tenants filed complaints about being forced out of their dwellings between July 2022 and June 2023. What’s more, Bill 31—another provicinial housing law, which passed in February—has unfortunately made it easier for landlords to refuse lease transfers, a tool that tenants have relied on for decades to facilate housing access and keep apartments affordable (read our article about that here!). All things considered, renters have had it pretty hard recently; this new moratorium should offer a welcome respite to tenants, albeit a temporary one.

You can learn more about the changes and read Bill 65 in its entirety on the Assemblée nationale du Québec website.

For more information, contact the CSU’s Off-Campus Housing and Job Resource Centre (HOJO)! You can drop in at our office (H-224) during opening hours or shoot us an email at hojo@csu.qc.ca .