Rent Increase: What You Need to Know 

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You are a tenant and you received a rent increase? Here are the rules that you and your landlord must respect. 

If your landlord wants to increase your rent, they must generally send you a written notice 3 to 6 months before the end of your lease. After this deadline, your landlord cannot increase the rent this year. In Quebec, residential leases often start on July 1st of each year and are usually for 12 months.  

This renewal notice must state the lease’s new terms. It must also include a text established by regulation stating your three options to respond of response as a tenant, including the deadline to respond. It must also mention your rights, obligations and recourses if you refuse the new terms. 

You have one month to act 

If you do not receive a rent increase notice by the deadline, your lease is automatically renewed under the same conditions. For example, if your current lease ends on June 30, 2025 and you do not receive a notice by March 31, 2025, your lease will be renewed on July 1, 2025 under the same conditions.  

However, if you do receive a rent increase notice, you have one month to act. You have three options: 

  • accept the increase and renew your lease, 
  • tell your landlord that you intend to move at the end of your lease, 
  • refuse the increase and stay in your rental unit. 

In some cases, you might have to leave your place if you refuse the rent increase, for example if you live in an apartment located in a housing co-op or in a building that has been used for rental housing for five years or less. For more information on the conditions that apply to these particular situations, consult our article Renewing a Residential Lease and Rent Increases. 

In case of refusal 

If you do not respond to the notice, it means you accept it. If you inform your landlord that you refuse the increase and want to stay in your rental unit, your landlord can apply to the Tribunal administratif du logement (TAL) to set your rent. You can assess whether the rent increase requested by your landlord is reasonable using the TAL’s calculation tool (French only). You can also contact your local housing committee to make this calculation.