End of lease in Quebec: what to do with items left by the former tenant

You’re a landlord, the tenant leaves on June 30 (or July 1), and you arrive at the apartment to find: a broken couch, 5 bags of clothes, 2 stained mattresses, a fridge “that still works”, and a stack of “I’ll maybe come back for it”. What to do? What are your rights? And who pays?

This article is for small landlords in Quebec City: owners of duplexes, small 4-plex, condo rented out. Not for large property managers (they have procedures).

The legal framework in Quebec

Rental Tribunal’s position (Tribunal administratif du logement — TAL)

In Quebec, the Civil Code governs landlord-tenant relations. Specifically:

• Article 1890 CcQ: the tenant must vacate the rented place clean and empty at lease end
• Article 1891 CcQ: objects left without indication belong to the landlord after a reasonable delay and after formal notice
• Jurisprudence: “reasonable delay” = typically 15-30 days

In practice:

1. June 30 (lease end): tenant vacates, leaves items
2. July 1-5: you notice, you photograph everything (dated)
3. July 10: you send a formal notice by certified mail (or bailiff) to the tenant at new address — 15 days to retrieve
4. July 25: if nothing retrieved, you can dispose or keep the items
5. You can bill the tenant for cleanout costs (see below)

The tenant’s address — how to find it

Often, the issue: you don’t know where your old tenant now lives.

Legal sources to find:

• Canada Post forwarding — if the tenant filed a change of address (request with post office)
• The lease itself — often lists an emergency contact (parents, spouse) — contact them
• Social networks — LinkedIn, Facebook may show current city
• Employer — if on lease, employer may know new address (privacy limits apply)

If address really unknown:

• Formal notice published in a local paper (Le Journal de Québec, Le Soleil) satisfies legal requirement in last resort
• Cost: $150-300
• Document it carefully

Don’t want to mess with it:

• Some lawyers offer “tenant search” services for $200-400
• Or hire a bailiff to serve at last known address (presumed delivery if properly addressed)

What you can bill

✅ Legitimately billable:

• Cleanout cost of items left (our service or another service) — documented by invoice
• Proportional cleaning time (if place is very dirty beyond normal wear)
• Specific damages (holes in walls, broken windows, stains that require re-painting)

❌ NOT billable:

• “Normal wear and tear” — carpet a bit worn, walls slightly off-white
• Your personal time to handle the issue (unless you’re a registered property manager)
• Premium rates for “inconvenience”

How to bill the tenant:

1. Invoice from specialized service (us, for example) — detailed
2. Send a demand letter + copy of invoice, certified mail
3. If no payment within 30 days: Small Claims Court (up to $15,000) or TAL
4. If the tenant refuses: collection agency (50% commission) or personal suit

Practical reality: collecting is hard. 60% of tenants pay, 40% disappear or contest. Budget the risk.

Standard scenarios

Scenario A: Tenant leaves “reasonable” mess

Situation: some items of modest value, mattress, small furniture, takes about 1/4 truck. Our suggestion:

• You organize formal notice
• After 20 days: we come, 1/4 truck = $299
• Billed to old tenant

Expected billed result: ~$330

Scenario B: Tenant leaves A LOT of stuff

Situation: small apartment full (1/2 truck+), mattress, furniture, boxes of clothes. Our suggestion:

• Formal notice + photos
• Free visit from us to estimate (volume could be more than looks)
• 1/2 truck minimum, maybe full truck
• Billed to tenant: $499-849

Expected billed result: ~$550-850

Scenario C: “I’ll come back next weekend for the rest”

Situation: tenant says they’ll return for items. Day goes by, they don’t come.

Suggestion:

• In writing by text/email: give a specific deadline (“I need these items gone by July 10, otherwise they’ll be disposed at your expense — I’ll charge you $X”)
• After deadline: act
• Keep all the exchange to justify in case of dispute

Scenario D: Tenant left fine, you find items in garage/basement you didn’t know existed

Situation: shared spaces (garage, storage unit) — hard to prove they’re the tenant’s.

Suggestion:

• If rental agreement specifies these spaces: same process as apartment
• Otherwise: treat as abandoned items on your property, 15-day reasonable delay
• Our service can take it no questions

Scenario E: Hazardous materials

Situation: tenant left paint cans, batteries, tires, prescription medications. Critical point: these materials require specific disposal (see our hazardous materials article). Our position: we don’t take hazardous materials. We redirect you to:

• Vanier RDD centre (paint, chemicals)
• Pharmacies (medications)
• Garages (tires, batteries)

The 5 typical errors of first-time landlords

Error 1: Throwing out the stuff the same day

You arrive July 1, you’re furious, you throw everything in the dumpster. Tenant contests 2 weeks later in court saying you threw out “valuable items” (grand-mother’s sewing machine, unique collection, etc.). You have no proof to contradict.

Fix: photograph everything before touching. Keep photos for 6 months minimum.

Error 2: Not sending formal notice

You throw out “normally” without formal notice, assuming obvious abandonment. Tenant files complaint at TAL 3 months later. You lose ($500-1,500 typically).

Fix: always send a formal notice certified mail, even if the tenant seems untraceable.

Error 3: Billing cleanout without clear invoice

You bill the tenant $800 “for cleanout” but you did it yourself, without professional involved. Weak proof.

Fix: use a service like us. Official invoice with company details = clear legal proof.

Error 4: Missing the new rental window

You spend 3 weeks arguing with old tenant, apartment stays empty until August 1. You lose 1 month of rent.

Fix: go fast. If July 1 lease ends, start new advertising July 2. Delegate cleanout to us for turnaround in 48h.

Error 5: Not accepting the loss

Sometimes the old tenant is broke, disappeared, untraceable. You lose. Accept it and move on. Spending 80 hours to recover $500 isn’t profitable.

Fix: budget 1-2% of annual rent as “cleanout contingency fund”.

Our service for landlords

We work regularly with small Quebec City landlords. Our approach:

Reactive intervention (within 48h):

• You call, we come for free on-site visit if volume uncertain
• Firm quote within 10 minutes
• Execution often next morning
• Detailed invoice same day, tax numbers, ready to send to tenant

”End-of-season package” (recurring):

For landlords of multiple units:

• We reserve a block of time in early July for you
• Multi-unit rates (from 3 units: -10%)
• Prioritization over individual clients

Our pricing grid is transparent on our pricing page. For landlords, we offer a “multiple unit” invoice combining several cleanouts for your bookkeeping.

Concrete example — Mr. Levasseur

Mr. Levasseur owns a 5-unit in Limoilou. In 2026:

• 3 tenants leave in July (normal rotation)
• 2 leave items (1 modest, 1 significant)

He calls us the evening of July 1:

• Unit A (modest): 1/8 truck, $175
• Unit B (significant): 1/2 truck + 1 mattress + 1 appliance, $649

Total $824, paid by him up-front. He bills the 2 old tenants:

• Tenant A: doesn’t respond — Mr. Levasseur gives up ($175 loss)
• Tenant B: partially pays $400 of the $649 asked, Mr. Levasseur accepts (lower transaction cost than suing)

Mr. Levasseur’s net: $824 - $400 (B) - $175 (A loss) = $229 cost, spread over annual rental income of 5 units ($72K-90K) = 0.3% annual “operational friction”.

And he re-rented both units for July 15 — 2 weeks of rent loss only, not 2 months.

Final tips

1. Detailed inventory in the lease: list appliances, features with photos at start of lease. Essential to evaluate wear vs damage at end.

2. Solid deposit: Quebec doesn’t allow security deposits like Ontario, but you can ask for first + last month ($1 last month remains in law). Cover end-of-lease issues from first month’s advance.

3. Move-out walk-through: schedule a walk-through with tenant 1 week before departure. Discuss what stays, what goes, document in writing signed by both.

4. Know your network: keep 1-2 reliable cleanout services (like us) in your contacts. When you call and need someone today, you’re glad.

To summarize

• 15-30 days is the “reasonable delay” in Quebec for abandoned items
• Formal notice by certified mail is essential
• Photograph before touching
• Bill with professional invoice
• Accept that 40% of billings won’t collect

For a quote on a specific end-of-lease cleanout: 418 506-0077. Quick and transparent pricing on our pricing page.