Association of Quebec Landlords: It is Necessary to Encourage the Landlords, the Opposite of What Projet Montreal Proposes

Real Estate — June 18, 2012

MONTREAL, QUEBEC--(Marketwire - June 18, 2012) - The Association of Quebec Landlords (APQ) makes it a point of reacting to the motion submitted by the 2nd opposition party of the City of Montreal, Projet Montréal.

Today, François William Croteau, mayor of the district of Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie, proposed to the City Council, supported by the mayor of the district of Plateau-Mont-Royal, a motion for the fight against unhealthy residences on the territory of the City of Montreal. However, upon reading the propositions, the APQ notes that these are likely to discourage rental investment and discourage the owners of rental residences in Montreal.

"As in all files, disproportion must be avoided!" says Martin Messier, president of the APQ.

"Our regulatory system is already extremely severe and controlling for the owners of residences. The requirements to which the owners must answer are extremely high. Moreover, in Montreal, projects of condominiums develop on every streetcorner whereas the construction of rental residences is rather rare! " adds Mr. Messier.

It is by stimulating the market that the situation will improve and this stimulation passes obligatorily by a revision of the calculation of increase in the rents and governmental incentives to renovation.

"How can one ask the owners to maintain residences of high quality, to reduce their energy consumption, to add services… with a return of investment of more than 30 years! The owners ask nothing more than to be able to maintain their buildings well but they need assistance considering the current market!"

And how much will it cost to the taxpayers, already submerged by strong rates of taxation, the installation of inspectors to verify these residences?

We believe that the purpose of Project Montréal is to help the pool of rental residences but we are convinced that the means of doing it must be re-examined.

The APQ asks the political parties to pay particular attention to real-estate investors. You know, it is necessary to stimulate the investments in the rental pool, otherwise investors will turn their attention on other types of real-estate projects or buy elsewhere than in Quebec. » concludes Martin Messier, the president of the APQ Founded in1984, the Association of Quebec Landlords (APQ) is the most important association to offer services to the owners of rental residences while being present in all the regions of Quebec.

Contact Information

For information:
Estelle Fabre
514-382-9670 extension 218

For interview:
Martin Messier, President
514-382-9670, extension 201