Quebec leasing: advantages and precautions to apply for it
There are many reasons why you may decide to look for a lease in Quebec, taking into account the lifestyle we lead nowadays.
Whether it is for work, when you move to another city, or when you change your life for a new studio. You got engaged, you want to live with friends or with a partner. You got married, the apartment is small, you have a baby and the family is growing.
The reasons are varied, but before you start this new adventure it is good to know the problems you might be dealing with later on.
In this article, we will show you the benefits of getting a new home in Quebec and tell you everything you need to know about leases.
Types of leases in Quebec
When we start looking for housing in Quebec, we may come across housing managed by individuals and also by agencies.
Both managers will require you to meet certain prerequisites. The agencies, however, tend to be a little more demanding with the documentation.
They will ask for proof of income, references and credit history. See our guide on how to improve your credit history.
On the other hand, with a private individual there won’t be many problems. It is always a more informal contracting. You will be asked for documents, of course, but your main concern will be to make a good impression on the owner.
In both cases you will be asked for at least one month’s deposit, together with the first month’s rent. The famous first and last -the first and last month in advance-.
What do the rental laws in Quebec say?
Thanks to the good economy and its lifestyle, property leases are a very common business activity in Quebec. The problem is that when something is profitable, scams always arise.
You must know the legal framework of this process, in order not to fall into the traps, and what the law indicates in the matter of leases is that the fraction of a co-ownership can be rented by its owner, under certain conditions.
According to the law, unless it is expressly contrary to the purpose of the property, a co-ownership syndicate cannot deny a co-owner the right to rent its fraction.
The Property Law is governed by the Civil Code of Quebec. But in these cases, the Quebec Rent Board is the appropriate judicial forum to determine these powers.
Under Article 1893 of the Civil Code of Québec, tenants in condominiums have the same inalienable rights as they have in an apartment building.
Remember that tenants cannot act as they see fit. Like the owners, they must abide by the rules imposed by the bylaws of the building in the declaration of co-ownership.
For his part, the landlord has a duty to inform the syndicate of the rental of his unit and the names of his tenants.
Finally, the landlord will also give the tenant, or occupant of the unit, a copy of the bylaws and regulatory amendments.
If these ordinances are not complied with, even if the rent has been paid in advance, a co-ownership union can have the tenants removed from the leased property.

Credit check
In order to establish the payment habits of a prospective tenant, a landlord may engage the services of a personal information broker, i.e., a credit bureau.
In order to perform the credit check, the landlord must obtain the prospective tenant’s consent.
Once the tenant’s consent has been obtained, the check can be performed with only a minimal amount of personal information.
You should know that to obtain a personal report from a credit bureau, only a person’s first and last name, address and date of birth are required. The social security number is no longer required.
It is worth noting that the prospective tenant can request a copy of his or her credit report from the credit bureau and send it to the landlord.
This applies when a prospective tenant refuses to give consent to the landlord to perform a credit check, or when the credit bureau is unable to identify the necessary file.

In conclusion, when looking for a rental property in Quebec you should know that this is a commercial activity that is governed by the Civil Code of Quebec.
In some cases, legislation can override the terms of the residential lease, over the will of the parties, if a unit rental syndicate so rules.
You should always be careful when engaging in this commercial activity.
The best thing to do is to enlist the help of a specialized lending agency, such as Mon Petit Pret, to help you fix your credit history and qualify with a good leasing agency.