The Quebec government today released its new lease forms that will come into effect in February 2015—in time for the next lease-renewal season. Property owners will be disappointed. Their main demand, abolishing section G from the form requiring them to state the previous rent, has been denied.

Landlords and tenants are diametrically opposed on this subject. Owners say that this section of the lease encourages tenants to challenge a rent increase and prevents them from bringing rents to market levels. In the case of a dispute, the tenant will always win. Meanwhile, tenant’s rights groups argue that if tenants have no idea what the previous rent was, how can they oppose an increase that might be abusive?

The government has decided in favour of the status quo.