Stages in the consideration of Bill 494
Chamber
quebec
Stage
Introduced
This Quebec bill would make lease clauses banning companion animals in rental dwellings legally void.
Key Changes
- Lease clauses that prohibit companion animals in residential dwellings would be rendered legally void and unenforceable
- Tenants would have the right to keep companion animals even if their lease contains a 'no pets' clause
- The Civil Code of Quebec would be amended to reflect these new tenant protections
- Landlords would lose the ability to enforce pet bans through lease agreements
Gotchas
- The bill does not appear to address situations where pets cause damage to a rental property or disturb other tenants, which could create enforcement ambiguity for landlords
- It is unclear whether the bill would apply to leases already in effect at the time of passage, or only to new leases signed afterward
- The bill does not specify whether any types of animals are excluded from the definition of 'companion animals,' which could lead to broad interpretation
- Landlords may still have recourse through other provisions of the Civil Code if a pet causes documented damage or nuisance
- This is a private member's bill, meaning it has a lower likelihood of passing compared to government-sponsored legislation
Who's Affected
- Residential tenants in Quebec who own or wish to own pets
- Landlords and property owners in Quebec
- Property management companies
- Animal shelters and adoption organizations (indirectly)
Vibes
0 responses
Gotchas
- The bill does not appear to address situations where pets cause damage to a rental property or disturb other tenants, which could create enforcement ambiguity for landlords
- It is unclear whether the bill would apply to leases already in effect at the time of passage, or only to new leases signed afterward
- The bill does not specify whether any types of animals are excluded from the definition of 'companion animals,' which could lead to broad interpretation
- Landlords may still have recourse through other provisions of the Civil Code if a pet causes documented damage or nuisance
- This is a private member's bill, meaning it has a lower likelihood of passing compared to government-sponsored legislation
Summary
Bill 494 is a private member's bill introduced in the Quebec National Assembly that proposes to amend the Civil Code of Quebec. Its main goal is to make any clause in a residential lease that prohibits tenants from having companion animals (pets) unenforceable — meaning landlords could no longer legally ban pets through lease agreements. Currently in Quebec, landlords can include 'no pets' clauses in leases, and tenants are generally bound by those terms. This bill would change that by rendering such clauses without legal effect, giving tenants the right to keep companion animals regardless of what their lease says. The bill was first introduced on May 25, 2023, during the 43rd Legislature's 1st Session, and was reinstated in the 2nd Session on October 1, 2025. It was sponsored by Andrés Fontecilla, MNA for Laurier-Dorion.
Automatically generated from bill text using Claude
Vibes
0 responses