Quebec Lease Renewal Notice Deadlines for Landlords

The basic rule: it counts from receipt

Example: you send the notice by registered mail on March 28, and the tenant receives it on April 2. For a lease ending June 30, that is too late, even though you mailed it in March.

Proving the date of receipt is up to the landlord. Keep the proof with a copy of the notice:

• Registered mail: the Canada Post delivery confirmation.
• Hand delivery: an acknowledgment of receipt dated and signed by the tenant.
• Email: a confirmation of receipt. An email with no confirmation is weak proof.

Leases of 12 months or more: 3 to 6 months before the end

This is the most common case for plexes. Example: a lease from July 1 to June 30. The tenant must receive the notice between January 1 and March 31.

Aim for the start of the window: if a delivery fails, you still have time to deliver the notice another way. Other examples:

• Lease ending August 31: between March 1 and May 31.
• Lease ending December 31: between July 1 and September 30.
• Two-year lease ending June 30: same window, January 1 to March 31 of the final year.

Leases under 12 months: 1 to 2 months before the end

Example: a 6-month lease from January 1 to June 30. The tenant must receive the notice between May 1 and May 31.

Another example: a 9-month lease ending September 30, notice received between August 1 and August 31. The window is only one month long, so prepare the notice ahead of time and send it early.

Indeterminate-term leases: 1 to 2 months before the change

Example: you want the new rent to start on October 1. The tenant must receive the notice between August 1 and August 31.

A lease with an indeterminate term has no end date, so you count back from the date you want the change to take effect. Pick that date first, then count back 1 to 2 months.

Rooms: 10 to 20 days

Example: a room rented under a lease ending June 30. The tenant must receive the notice at least 10 days and at most 20 days before the lease ends, so around mid-June.

If the room is rented for an indeterminate term, count 10 to 20 days before the date of the change. With a window this short, do not aim for the last day.

After the notice: reply deadlines

Example: notice received January 15. A tenant who refuses the change or is leaving must reply in writing by February 15. If they do not reply, they are deemed to have accepted the new conditions.

If the tenant refuses, you have one month from receiving the refusal to apply to the Tribunal administratif du logement (TAL). Example: refusal received February 10, application by March 10 at the latest. Otherwise, the lease renews at the same rent and conditions.

ProprioSign emails the notice to each tenant who signed the lease, and records the date each one confirms receipt. That way, you know when the one-month reply period started for each tenant.