Bill 492, a threat to property rights

Québec solidaire, a party with only three MPs, wants to pass its bill that would prevent landlords from repossessing a unit from a low-income tenant aged 65 or over. At the parliamentary committee held in September 2015, CORPIQ explained that bill 492 was a direct attack against the fundamental and historic property rights. This restriction could make senior tenants undesirable, as they would have the right to occupy the unit for life.

A rental property owner would never be able to live there or to house a family member there if the need arose. In June 2016, the Liberal Government agreed with Québec solidaire and proposed a new version of the bill, which was also supported by the Parti québécois and, surprisingly, by the Coalition avenir Québec. The new bill prevents the repossession of a rental unit from a tenant aged 70 and over, unless the person who would benefit from the repossession is 70 or older, or if the property owner is that age and lives in the building and one of his or her children would be moving into the repossessed apartment.

CORPIQ is considering legal remedies to the situation.