Quebec Tenant Rights: The Lease, Rent Increases and the TAL (2026)

Quebec’s tenancy rules work differently from the rest of Canada. They come from the Civil Code of Québec rather than a separate tenancy act, every new residential lease uses a mandatory government form, leases renew automatically, and a tenant can refuse a proposed rent increase, leaving it to the Tribunal administratif du logement (TAL) to set the rent if the landlord pursues it. This guide covers the main rules for Quebec tenants. The same topics for other provinces are in the renting in Canada hub, with guides for BC, Ontario and Alberta.

The lease

The TAL’s lease form must be used for every new residential lease: its page on leases states, “The lease form of the Tribunal administratif du logement is mandatory since September 1, 1996.” It applies to a room, an apartment, a condominium or a house; housing co-operatives, low-rental housing and student housing have their own versions. If the lease is verbal, the landlord must give you the TAL’s “mandatory writing” form within ten days.

When you sign, the landlord must also tell you in writing the lowest rent paid for the unit in the previous 12 months (section G of the lease form), unless the building is five years old or less, is a co-operative or is low-rental housing. If you pay more than that rent, you can ask the TAL to fix your rent: the application must be filed within 10 days after the lease is entered into, or within two months after the lease begins if the landlord didn’t give the notice.

Rent increases and lease renewal

• There is no fixed cap: the landlord proposes an increase when the lease is renewed.
• The tenant can accept or refuse it within one month after receiving the notice. In most cases a tenant who refuses keeps the dwelling, and the landlord can ask the Tribunal administratif du logement (TAL) to set the rent.
• The TAL's calculation starts from a base percentage (3.1% for 2026) plus adjustments for taxes, insurance, energy and major work.
• For the TAL to set the rent, the landlord must apply to it within the month following the tenant's refusal; if the landlord doesn't, the lease renews at the same rent and on the same conditions.
• The exception: when the lease's section on restrictions to the right to have the rent fixed says the dwelling is in a housing cooperative, or in a building built or converted to residential use 5 years ago or less, a tenant who refuses the change must move out when the lease ends. For a lease signed after February 20, 2024 in a building ready for occupancy after that date, the new-building exception also requires the lease to state the maximum rent the landlord can charge in the building's first 5 years.
• A new tenant can ask the TAL to fix the rent if it is higher than the lowest rent paid in the 12 months before the lease began (the landlord must state that rent in a notice when the lease is signed). The tenant has 10 days after signing to apply, or two months after the lease begins if the landlord gave no notice, unless the rent was already fixed by the TAL; the cooperative and new-building exceptions above apply to new tenants too.

Source: Quebec government.

A lease renews automatically at its end, on the same conditions, unless notice is given:

Montreal and Quebec City rents, and the TAL’s base percentage by year, are on the Quebec rental market page (other markets: rent and vacancy data). Quebec’s refuse-and-fix system is set against the capped provinces in the national comparison of rent increase rules.

Deposits

How the other provinces handle deposits is on deposit rules by province.

Assigning or subletting your lease

An assignment hands the lease over for good; a sublet is temporary and you remain the tenant. What a sublessor may charge, and how other provinces handle consent, are on subletting rules in Canada.

Entry and visits

Neither the landlord nor the tenant can change the locks without the other’s consent. What to do if a landlord enters without notice is on landlord entry rules.

Repairs and the condition of the dwelling

The landlord must deliver the dwelling in a good state of repair, habitable and clean, keep it in good habitable condition during the lease, give you peaceful enjoyment of it, and make all necessary repairs except those the tenant is responsible for (Civil Code of Québec, articles 1854, 1864 and 1910). Disputes over repairs, including requests for a rent reduction or damages, go to the TAL.

Ending a lease

During its term, a Quebec lease can be ended only by agreement with the landlord or in the specific situations the Civil Code lists, such as being allocated low-rental housing, a disability that prevents you from living there, a senior’s permanent admission to a care residence, or a threat to your safety or a child’s from spousal or sexual violence:

Losing a job, separating or buying a home isn’t one of those situations; assigning the lease with the landlord’s consent is the usual alternative. The options in every province are on breaking a lease early.

The Tribunal administratif du logement

The TAL decides disputes between landlords and tenants in Quebec: rent fixing, repairs, unpaid rent, a landlord’s request to repossess a dwelling, and the termination of leases. It also offers conciliation between the two sides. Applications can be filed online or at a TAL office, and its information clerks answer questions by appointment. The tribunal’s forms, notice models and the rent calculation tool are on tal.gouv.qc.ca.

Key takeaways

• Every new residential lease uses the TAL’s mandatory form, and leases renew automatically
• A tenant can refuse a proposed rent increase; the landlord can then ask the TAL to set the rent
• A landlord can’t ask for a deposit or post-dated cheques
• You can assign or sublet with notice to the landlord, who can refuse only for a serious reason within 15 days
• During the term, a lease ends only by agreement or for the specific reasons the Civil Code allows

Related reading

• Renting in Canada
• Your first apartment
• Tenant insurance
• Quebec rental market data