95% of landlords willing to rent to Ukrainian refugees

Montreal, March 24, 2022 – 95% of Quebec landlords would be willing to rent one of their units to Ukrainian refugees if there was a government assistance program. In addition, 65% of respondents said they would be willing to provide primary necessities free of charge, and a large majority would also be willing to provide at least one month's rent free of charge.

One-third of those surveyed say they would be willing to rent one or more of their currently available units to Ukrainian refugees. Another 53% would be willing to do so, but currently have no units available; many of these would be available on July 1, and even more so if a government program came along quickly.

Among the respondents willing and able to host a Ukrainian refugee, more than 70% of them are ready to offer at least one month's free rent, 25% of them three months or more, and 75% of them the primary necessities for the accommodation (appliances, beds, table, etc.). Let's remember that during the Syrian crisis, some very generous landlords went so far as to provide clothes and bedding.

Although nearly 15% of landlords surveyed are reluctant to welcome these refugees, this figure drops to 5% if the government sets up a rent guarantee program.

CORPIQ is not surprised to see such enthusiasm. "Quebec landlords are good people who are used to helping people in need. We can all be proud to see them answer the call to promote the welcoming of Ukrainians," says Benoit Ste-Marie, General manager of CORPIQ. "We plan to work with the Quebec government to set up a database of available housing," continues Mr. Ste-Marie.

 

Housing available 

In Montreal, contrary to past years, small units that can accommodate a mother and child, for example, are available in large numbers and at a reasonable price. The vacancy rate for studios is 6.5%, and for one-bedroom units it is 4.0% according to the latest CMHC data.

The next step for CORPIQ is to work with the Quebec government to set up an electronic form to collect from landlords the list of available units and their characteristics to facilitate the reception of refugees.

The survey was conducted from March 12 to March 16 and involved 875 rental landlords across Quebec.

 

About CORPIQ

A non-profit organization bringing together 30,000 landlords and managers who own nearly 500,000 rental units and condos, CORPIQ is the largest association to offer services to landlords and to defend their interests, for over 40 years. It serves all regions from four offices with a total of 70 employees. Quebec landlords provide housing to 1.3 million renter households, seven out of ten of which own a duplex or triplex. Rental housing represents gross annual revenues of $10.5 billion, of which $1.6 billion is returned in municipal and school taxes. 

 

Information and interview requests:

Benoit Ste-Marie

Executive Director - Corporation des propriétaires immobiliers du Québec

Phone: 514-249-1691

Email: bstemarie@corpiq.com