Bill 494: An Act to amend the Civil Code to render without effect the clauses of a lease of a dwelling tending to prohibit companion animals

This bill directly affects residential landlords in Quebec — whether they own a single rental unit or manage a portfolio of apartment buildings. Landlords who currently include no-pets clauses in their leases will find those provisions unenforceable the moment this law takes effect. Day-to-day property management decisions around tenant screening, lease drafting, and building rules around animals will need to be revisited. Larger property management companies with standardized lease templates will need to update their documentation, while individual landlords renting out a basement suite or condo will also lose the ability to restrict companion animals regardless of what their current lease says.