How do I report the presence of BMSB in Montreal?
An unhealthy dwelling is characterized by elements that make it unsuitable for habitation such as the presence of mold, different types of invasive insects or rodents, excessive humidity, or stale air. According to the Administrative Housing Tribunal, a dwelling unfit for habitation means that “the condition of the dwelling constitutes a serious threat to the health or safety of the occupants or the public”.
In the summer of 2021, the results of a survey conducted by the ACORN action group show that 95% of low- and middle-income tenants have experienced at least one maintenance problem or lack of repairs within their building. This situation seems to be spreading throughout all neighbourhoods of the city of Montreal, but more particularly in certain places such as Montreal North.
Cockroach, mouse and bed bug infestations seem to be more frequently affected by Montreal tenants. When infestations are not treated quickly, they can spiral out of control and make homes unsanitary in a short period of time.
Landlords must therefore contact certified exterminators in order to eradicate invasive insects or animals affecting the quality of life of their tenants. They also have a role to play since they must prepare the apartment to be treated by following certain specific steps.
Collaboration between landlords, tenants and exterminators is essential to reduce the number of substandard housing in Montreal North.
Serious pest infestations in Montreal North
Many cases of cockroach and bed bug infestation have been observed in Montreal North and discussed in the media. Moreover, it regularly happens that the City of Montreal and the Direction de la santé publique conduct inspections in rental buildings to check the condition of apartments.
It should be noted that when a tenant notices the presence of pests in his dwelling, he must first notify his landlord by means of a letter. He should not try to solve the problem on his own. The owner must then contact an exterminator to remedy the problem.
The landlord does not follow up on the tenant’s opinion? At that time, the latter may file an application for intervention with his borough.
A parasitic infestation requires specialized treatment to prevent it from getting worse over time.
Cockroach infestation in Montréal-Nord
Some owners of apartment buildings located in Montréal-Nord are experiencing quite extreme problematic situations . Indeed, a landlord has made every effort to get rid of cockroaches in his building. He requested the services of a pest management company when necessary to eliminate these horrible critters. He invested thousands of dollars many times to eradicate cockroaches only to discover that the problem stemmed from the building adjacent to his own, with which he shares a common wall. This building has reportedly been struggling with serious cockroach infestations in recent years. This is why collaboration between owners, tenants and exterminators remains so important to deal with pest infestations.
Vermin infestation in Montreal North
Sometimes, the problems of infestations are multiple for a single dwelling. In 2019, tenants in Montreal North experienced a real nightmare while they were struggling with an infestation of cockroaches, bed bugs and vermin!
In this kind of situation, tenants find themselves stuck because they do not have a return from their landlord. Even if the authorities issue fines in this regard, some landlords ignore them and do not take steps to eliminate mice, cockroaches and other parasites.
The mayor of the borough of Montréal-Nord intervened in the file to try to make things happen. She admits that additional resources should be made available to tenants who face carefree landlords.
Schools plagued by parasitic infestations
Invasive insects sneak into homes in Montreal North, but also into schools. Henri-Bourassa High School located in the neighbourhood was already infested with cockroaches in 2016.
An inspector had found dead cockroaches in the cupboards of the cafeteria, under a work table and even in a warehouse. She had also noticed a live cockroach on a sticky trap laid out under a work table.
According to this specialist, the insects may have been transported by students living in contaminated housing through their lunch boxes. There is also a possibility that fruit and vegetable supplier boxes have contributed to this phenomenon.
Note that this cockroach infestation was settled by a professional exterminator. In addition, the school administration quickly implemented new safety measures to prevent these disgusting insects from reappearing.
What is the City of Montreal doing on the issue of housing health?
The City of Montreal has taken several steps to try to reduce the amount of substandard housing on its territory. In 2020, a newspaper article stated that the number of housing inspections had multiplied over the past two years. The article also mentioned that these inspections for health reasons had identified dozens of cases of non-compliance.
For example, in 2018 and 2019, nearly 4,000 dwellings were inspected, particularly in the boroughs of Montréal-Nord, Saint-Laurent and Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce. Of these, more than 26,000 non-compliances were found, such as the presence of vermin and insects. Some inspectors even found hundreds of non-conformities at a single address.
The City of Montreal has therefore chosen to unveil a list of 21 violators of the By-law respecting sanitation in order to demonstrate that procedures are actually carried out. It wishes to encourage its citizens to file complaints, if necessary.
It is difficult to know if the amount of substandard housing in the borough of Montréal-Nord is actually decreasing. Yes, the City of Montreal is taking concrete action to solve the problem, but the game is not won. Tenants, landlords and exterminators must work together to remedy the problems of pest infestations, one of the most common problems in Montreal North.
