by Lorraine Carpenter, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

The City of Montreal has launched the Responsible Landlord project, which includes the inspection of 10,000 rental housing units by the end of 2024. Inspectors will identify any unsafe or unsanitary conditions, such as toxicity, infestations and structural problems, and hold landlords to account if they don’t fix them — with fines ranging from $500 to $10,000.

“Having a clean home is not a luxury. Our Responsible Landlord project will help to better defend tenants’ rights and ensure housing in Montreal is healthier and safer.”

Inspectors will prioritize buildings with more than 100 rental housing units, particularly buildings where there have been complaints, as well as apartments in “vulnerable sectors” of the city.

The Responsible Landlord project also includes an investment in the Vivre en ville rent registry, which the city has encouraged Montrealers to participate in in order to collect data that could help the city deal with abusive rent increases.