Summary#
Montréal city council adopted, without changes, a bylaw amending the city’s existing Regulation on the Sanitation, Maintenance and Safety of Dwellings (03-096). The change concerns registering notices of deterioration against buildings for certain violations; city staff say the goal is to keep a tool for addressing unsafe or deteriorating buildings.
- The city can register a notice of deterioration on the Québec Land Register when required corrective work has not been completed by the deadline set by the competent authority.
- The notice is attached to the building and remains on the register until the required work is done. City staff say a buyer is informed that the work must be completed.
- If the owner does not complete the work within 60 days after the notice is registered, the city may acquire the property by agreement or expropriate it, but only when provincial-law conditions are met.
- The bylaw was adopted unanimously. The supplied material does not include its full text or an effective date.
What it means for you#
- Owners of affected buildings: A notice may be registered for certain violations if required work is not completed by the authority’s deadline. The material does not identify those violations or explain how that deadline is set.
- People buying an affected building: City staff say the notice stays with the building and the new owner is informed that the work must be done.
- Renters and the public: The stated goal is to address building deterioration. The decision does not create a new repair service or promise that work will be completed.
- Property owners: The city may, but is not required to, acquire a property after the 60-day period; acquisition or expropriation is subject to conditions in provincial law.
Money#
No cost information is in the available material.
- The decision summary’s financial section gives no estimate of city spending, staffing costs, or other costs.
- It does not specify fees or charges for owners.
What is unclear#
- The adopted bylaw text is not included, so the exact violations covered and detailed rules cannot be verified.
- The material does not state when the bylaw takes effect.
- It does not explain how the city sets the deadline for corrective work or what process an owner can use to challenge a notice.
- The summary refers to provincial-law conditions for acquisition or expropriation but does not list them.
Case for#
- City staff say the change keeps a tool for requiring repairs to deteriorating buildings and protecting their structure.
- Staff report that, in 2025 data, 60% of buildings with a notice had the required work done within a year, and 80% within two years.
- Keeping a notice on the property record can alert a buyer that required work remains outstanding.
Case against#
- A registered notice can affect a property and its future buyer, while the supplied material does not identify which violations trigger it.
- The city may acquire or expropriate a property if work is not completed within 60 days after registration and provincial conditions are met. The decision materials do not explain those conditions in detail.
- The staff figures report work completed after notices, but the materials do not say how many properties were affected or how the results were measured.