By Sufia Langevin  – Associate Editor

As the school year is starting, students are learning and experiencing new things in all areas of life. It is widely known that students will learn in their classes and that they will learn about themselves and their friends throughout their time in university.

However, there are many things that students are expected to know as they enter adulthood that may not have ever been explicitly taught to them. EducaLoi is a website that provides clear and comprehensible legal information in Quebec, and the information in this article was found on this site. 

For students who are moving into apartments for the first time, students who have been tricked by landlords in the past or students who are newly moving to Quebec, the laws regarding leases in Quebec can be difficult to understand.

One key point for students to know is that as tenants, they have the right to sublet their apartment, even if their lease has a clause saying that they cannot. Such clauses are not legal, and the landlord should not prevent the tenant from subletting the apartment. The tenant must give the name and address of the person they are subletting to as well as the date that this would come into effect. If the landlord wishes to deny the sublet, they must provide a reason. For shared apartments, a roommate would be allowed to deny a sublet. 

In a similar vein, clauses that prevent the tenant from having roommates may also be illegal. In such cases, the limitation would depend on the number of people that can fit reasonably in the apartment.

For example, an apartment that can reasonably fit two people would be legally allowed to prevent tenants from living there as a group of six roommates. This is to ensure that those occupying the apartment are doing so in safe living arrangements. 

EducaLoi is a resource that provides information on the law, but should someone wish to take action, for example by reporting an illegal clause on their lease, they should do so through the Administrative Housing Tribunal, the branch of government responsible for rental housing in Quebec. Tenants may find forms, legal information, and contacts on their website at https://www.tal.gouv.qc.ca/en 

Students should feel confident in their rights as tenants in their apartments in Quebec, with the resources at their disposal.