QuebecBill 699First Reading
Bill 699: An Act to amend the Charter of human rights and freedoms to enshrine the right to decent housing
Sponsor: Andrés FontecillaIntroduced June 4, 2024Checked September 3, 2026
Read the official text on assnat.qc.caOfficial version — National Assembly of Quebec
What this bill does
This Quebec bill amends the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms to formally recognize that every person has a right to decent housing, defined as housing that is safe, available, affordable, habitable, and accessible.
Plain-language summary by Legisail — not legal advice.
Business impact
Compliance
This bill primarily targets the Quebec government's obligations rather than private businesses directly, but landlords, property managers, and residential developers operating in Quebec could feel downstream effects. If the right becomes justiciable, a landlord renting out apartments — even a small-scale owner running a duplex or triplex — could face human rights complaints if their units are deemed substandard, unaffordable, or inaccessible. Larger residential developers and property management companies operating multi-unit buildings in Quebec would need to be more attentive to habitability standards and tenant rights claims. Over time, this constitutional grounding could strengthen tenants' legal standing in disputes over rent, evictions, or maintenance — raising the stakes for anyone in the residential rental business in Quebec.
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Where this bill is
First ReadingJune 4, 2024
Next: Second Reading debate
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