This is one of the most common points of confusion for Quebec landlords, and it costs time: you search for a "Régie du logement" form, land on archived pages, and start wondering whether the remedy still exists. It does. Only the name changed.
This article clarifies the renaming, what actually changed in the procedure in 2020, and what did not change at all. One useful note up front: the vast majority of landlord files at the TAL are preventable at the tenant screening stage, not in front of the tribunal.
What changed on August 31, 2020
The Régie du logement became the Tribunal administratif du logement on August 31, 2020. The change comes from Bill 16, assented to in December 2019, whose chapter concerning the Régie only came into force on that date.
| Before August 31, 2020 | Since August 31, 2020 |
|---|---|
| Régie du logement | Tribunal administratif du logement (TAL) |
| Régisseur (commissioner) | Administrative judge |
| regiedulogement.gouv.qc.ca | tal.gouv.qc.ca |
Bill 16 was not only a change of signage. It also amended the rules for filing and processing applications, with the stated goal of making better use of hearing time and reducing processing delays.
What did NOT change
This is the part that matters if you have a file open or about to open. The renaming touched none of your rights:
- The grounds for terminating a lease — still set out exhaustively in the Civil Code of Québec
- The three-week arrears threshold before a non-payment application (art. 1971 CCQ)
- The requirement for a written demand letter before filing
- The tribunal's exclusive jurisdiction over residential leases — no eviction outside the TAL
- The mandatory notices: notice F for a rent increase, repossession notice, notice of lease modification
- The fact that "no-fault" eviction does not exist in Quebec law
In other words: guides, decisions and articles that speak of the "Régie du logement" remain relevant on the substance of the law. Be wary only of links and form numbers, which may have changed.
Filing an eviction application today
A search for "regie du logement eviction" almost always reflects a concrete need: removing a tenant who is not paying, or who is causing harm. The current path:
- 1Document the breach — dates, amounts, communications, findings. Without written proof, a valid case is lost at the hearing.
- 2Send a written demand letter, with a reasonable cure period and a reference to the Civil Code article or lease clause.
- 3File the application with the TAL (tal.gouv.qc.ca), no longer through the former Régie website.
- 4Attend the hearing with the complete file — the decision is rendered by an administrative judge, no longer by a régisseur.
- 5If a favourable decision is not complied with, proceed to enforcement through a bailiff.
The detailed procedure, the grounds that hold and those that do not, and realistic timelines are covered in our guide to evicting a tenant in Quebec. For unpaid rent specifically, see tenant not paying rent.
The real lesson for a landlord
A TAL file, even a won one, is expensive: unpaid rent during the process, time, stress, and often damage to the unit. The useful question is not "how do I evict faster" but "how do I avoid being here at all".
Non-payment eviction files almost always share one trait: payment capacity was never seriously verified at selection. Rigorous screening — with written consent, on objective criteria — guarantees nothing 100%, no service can claim that, but it moves the odds substantially.
- Payment capacity documented, not merely stated — see tenant payment capacity
- Previous-landlord references, actually contacted and validated
- Credit check with written consent — never on assumption alone
- An objective criteria grid applied to every candidate, compliant with the Quebec Charter and CDPDJ guidance