Renting 101
When Dane Levere moved from Iroquois, Ontario, to study engineering at Concordia, the 19-year-old wished more than anything he’d brought a microwave.
“I arrived home starving from the library the other day,” says Levere, “and I had to wait three hours for my hamburgers to thaw before I could cook them!”
With the school year wrapping up, Levere is one of many Concordia students trying to sublet his hard-won apartment. The first time he posted it on Craigslist, he didn’t think to include pictures.
“I got tired of having to describe the place in detail,” he says. After the pictures went up, so did interest. And it didn’t hurt that his sweet pad is right across the Henry F. Hall Building.
Give notice by March 31st
Chances are Levere won’t be the only Concordian on the move this spring. Bigger digs, different roommates or a trendier neighbourhood could send many packing. Regardless of why people chose to move, anyone whose lease goes up July 1 needs to give their landlord written notice, via registered mail, by March 31. Otherwise, the lease is automatically renewed.
A lease is a binding contract that’s legislated by the Régie du logement du Québec. In this province, leases typically span 12 months and end June 30 — prompting Canada Day chaos when Montrealers scramble for moving trucks on July 1.
Having so many people hunting for new digs each spring can make it difficult to find affordable housing. Fortunately, the Concordia Student Union’s Off-Campus Housing and Job Bank, called HOJO, can provide leads on newly liberated apartments, help connect new roommates and give insight on which neighbourhoods provide the best bang for the buck.
HOJO can also let students know how much a landlord is entitled to raise their rent and what type of notice must be sent to make the increase binding.
HOJO can be reached at 514-848-7474, ext. 7935, or hojo@csu.qc.ca.
Renters Q & A
With moving day fast approaching, here are some essential questions and answers for renters to consider:
Q: If my roommate and I both sign the lease, and my roommate bails, does that mean I get out of having to pay all the rent?
A: No. According to Quebec’s rental board (the Régie du logement), the remaining tenant is still responsible for the total rent.
Q: My landlord says he wants to perform an urgent repair on my apartment, but my place is a mess, and I’d rather not do it now. Do I have to let him?
A: Yes, a landlord has the right to fix something in your apartment or to have it visited by a prospective tenant. He must provide the renter with 24 hours notice, and can only visit between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m.
Q: I found a great apartment, but the landlady wants me to deposit the first and last month’s rent. Do I have to give it to her?
A: A deposit is not required to secure an apartment.
Q: I told my landlord I want to break my lease, and I even found a nursing student to take it over, but he still says no.
A: An occupant who wants to leave an apartment has the right to assign his lease to another tenant, so long as he gives notice to his landlord. The landlord can only refuse for a valid reason.
Related links:
• HOJO Classifieds
• Régie du logement