Montérégie, January 14, 2021 – For nearly 2 years, the Centre d’Assistance et d’Accompagnement aux Plaintes de la Montérégie has responded to over 400 calls from tenants experiencing difficulties related to their leases in private seniors’ residences, the majority of which concern rent increases. Action Logement Pierre-De Saurel also receives calls about abusive rent increases from private seniors’ residences and tenants on all sides.

Many people feel vulnerable and helpless when faced with a legal problem, and many senior tenants are unaware of their rights in residence, including the fact that they can refuse a rent increase while remaining in their apartment or room.

Refusing a rent increase is the easiest right to exercise in residential or other rental accommodation. All you have to do is reply to the notice of change (the increase) within one month of receiving it, keeping proof that the owner has received the reply. If the tenant does not agree with this refusal, he must apply to the Housing Administrative Tribunal to set the rent. Since increases are always based on the current rent, it makes economic sense to refuse abusive increases year after year.

At Caap Montérégie, this service is part of a new program, CAAP sur le Bail, offered to seniors by CAAPs in all regions of Quebec. It informs residential seniors and their families of their rights and obligations, and supports them throughout the process.

The Action logement Pierre-De Saurel committee has been supporting all tenants in the MRC Pierre-De Saurel for 12 years.

The approach of Caap Montérégie and the Action Logement Pierre-De Saurel committee always favors agreement and negotiation between the parties. Seniors who are aware of their rights and obligations, like all tenants, are better able to negotiate with managers and thus stay longer and happier in their homes. A win-win formula.

All residents and their families can contact CAAP Montérégie at 1-800-263-0670 or Comité Action Logement Pierre-De Saurel at 450-881-1910. The newly redesigned CAAP Montérégie website can be accessed at
https://caapmonteregie.ca

and Action Logement Pierre-De Saurel’s Facebook is on the

About CAAP Montérégie and Action Logement Pierre-De Saurel

CAAP Montérégie is a regional community organization that initially provided support to users of the health and social services network when they were dissatisfied with the care or services they received. Since 2019, it has also been helping seniors experiencing difficulties with their lease. All their services are free and confidential.

Action Logement Pierre-De Saurel is a community organization in the Pierre-De Saurel MRC dedicated to defending tenants’ rights. In particular, it promotes social housing and various collective housing formulas. It also organizes awareness-raising, information and training activities on tenants’ rights, recourses and obligations.

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Source :

Andrée Rochon

RPA Program Manager, CAAP Montérégie, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Qc, liaison@caapmonteregie.ca, Tel. : 450 347-0670 / 514-799-3357

Dominic Gosselin, coordinator, Action Logement Pierre-De Saurel, 71 rue De Ramesay, local 309, Sorel-Tracy (Québec) J3P 3Z1, 450-881-1910 ,