Public Health addresses owners of 10 or more dwellings

The Direction régionale de santé publique de Montréal is asking landlords of buildings with 10 or more dwellings to post a notice and put in place a protocol to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

The notice states, among other things, that it is "recommended" that owners:

• Clean and disinfect, using household cleaning products, at least once a day (and, if possible, every 2 to 4 hours) in common areas (door handles, elevator buttons, other common areas).
• Enforcing the prohibition of gatherings in common areas (lobby, laundry room, etc.) and on the building grounds, if a distance of 2 meters between people cannot be maintained.
• Prioritize virtual means for conducting dwelling visits and interviews with future tenants. Leases can be signed electronically or by mail.

Applicable?

CORPIQ thinks that these measures are appropriate and desirable, but difficult to apply, particularly for the prohibition of gatherings when the building does not have a designated and full-time janitor. By posting such a notice for the benefit of tenants, it could create expectations towards landlords that are impossible to meet.

CORPIQ has therefore asked the Direction de la Santé publique de Montréal for more information.