Montreal tenant stages protest to fight significant rent hike — and wins

A Montreal tenant fought a rent increase by protesting outside of another building owned by her landlord, housing a cafe run by his son.

A tenant in Montreal’s Plateau Mont-Royal borough found an unconventional way to push back against a steep rent increase: she staged a protest with a local tenants union.

For the past four years, Lior Maharjan has been living in her St-Denis Street apartment, where she says she has built a life and a sense of home.

“We really made it our home. With the intention of staying there,” she said. “I’ve never lived in a home that I’ve loved as much as this one.”

But the rent kept climbing. When Maharjan and her boyfriend moved into the four-and-a-half apartment in 2021, they paid $1,275 a month. After renovations in the building, the price steadily increased. Then this spring, they were hit with another steep demand.

“In 2024, we had an 11.8 per cent increase. And now this year, in 2025, he was asking for a 19.86 per cent increase. Cumulate that together. That’s 33 per cent of an increase in two years,” Maharjan said. “Honestly, the number scares me, but it’s up well above $1500… not only can we not afford it, but I also don’t think most people could.”

Instead of filing a complaint with Quebec’s housing tribunal and facing another fight with their landlord, the couple took the issue public. They organized a protest outside a café operated by their landlord’s son, in a building the landlord owns.

Maharjan said the goal was to hold property owners accountable.

“Making landlords have to confront their choices in their business on a more personal level,” she said. “Landlords are not often in a position to have to really face those decisions.”

The president of Quebec’s landlords association said he has never seen a tenant go this route, adding that the first step is to contest the increase at the housing tribunal (Tribunal administratif du logement).

“It’s a lot of energy spent when the only thing the tenant has to do is send an email or reply with registered mail saying I refuse the increase,” said Martin Messier.

Maharjan says they did take that step.

The issue comes at a time when rents in Montreal are surging. According to Statistics Canada, the average price of a one-bedroom apartment rose from just under $1,000 in 2019 to $1,500 this year. Two-bedroom units increased by $800 a month over the same period.

Quebec’s housing tribunal suggested an average rent increase of nearly six per cent this year for tenants who pay for their own heating.

Maharjan said calling out landlords publicly can bring attention to major increases and empower tenants.

“I’ll be honest, throughout the whole process, I wasn’t 100 per cent sure if we would succeed. You know, this sort of, fighting back. We don’t see that often,” she said.

In the end, she did succeed. The proposed $300 monthly increase was reduced to zero.

Landlord responds

On Tuesday evening, the landlord of the building responded to CTV News’ request for comment.

He explained that the scope of the work done on the building was extensive, including reinforcing the structure and installing new doors and windows. He is disappointed that protestors would target his son’s business as he says it has nothing to do with decisions taken on the rent.

He adds a rent increase isn’t worth the damage that this is doing to his reputation.