Québec residential tenancy
Québec TAL hearings, orders and enforcement basics
An application is only the start of a TAL dispute. Save the file number and all notices, prepare evidence, and check orders and reasons carefully before choosing a review or enforcement path.
Before the hearing: file and notify correctly
- Read the application and each requested remedy. Make a timeline of lease terms, notices, payments, communications and events.
- Notify each other party of the filed application and any amendments; include supporting documents or their list unless an exception applies to a rent-fixing-only application.
- Submit proof of notification and the list of exhibits within 45 days after filing. TAL can schedule a hearing before the 45 days expire, but proof must be available at that hearing.
- For registered mail, preserve delivery confirmation and the signature image, not simply a receipt showing you mailed it. Hand delivery should have signed acknowledgment; a bailiff provides an affidavit of service.
- Keep TAL and the other parties updated with any address change, or a hearing and decision could proceed without you.
TAL's June 2026 update says late proof of notification no longer automatically closes the case administratively, but the Tribunal may decline to schedule it and can reject the application if proof is missing at the hearing. Do not ignore the 45-day filing requirement.
Evidence and witnesses checklist
- Signed lease and amendments; official notices and proof of their delivery.
- Rent ledger, receipts, bank confirmations and any written payment agreements.
- Dated photos, repair requests, inspection reports, invoices and messages.
- Paper or accessible copies organized by date and a short note explaining what each exhibit proves.
- Witnesses with direct knowledge. TAL says a formal subpoena generally must be served by a bailiff at least three days before the hearing and signed by an authorized person; the Tribunal can shorten the period.
A party usually needs witnesses in person; an unsigned statement or second-hand account is not necessarily a substitute for live testimony. Ask TAL about exhibits, language accommodations or hearing format if uncertain.
Reading the decision: different remedies and deadlines
- Correction: for clerical mistakes or omitted points, subject to the decision's status; it is not a general second chance to argue the facts.
- Revocation: for specified reasons such as being prevented from attending or presenting evidence. TAL generally requires an application within 10 days of learning of the decision or of the obstacle ending.
- Review: available in defined categories such as rent fixing, generally within one month of the decision. A special clerk's deposit-authorization decision has a distinct 10-day review rule for an eligible tenant.
- Appeal: leave of a Court of Québec judge is usually required, with application and service within 30 days after learning of the decision. Some decisions, including rent-fixing and rent-deposit authorization, are not appealable by this route.
Important: seeking leave to appeal normally does not suspend execution. Eviction cases may have a separate request to suspend execution for serious harm. Review the TAL contesting-a-decision guide promptly if a deadline is approaching.
Enforcement and eviction
Read the actual decision first: some decisions contain special execution dates; otherwise the time depends on the kind of application. For example, TAL describes a 20-day execution period for a money-only small claim (up to $15,000 exclusive of interest) and a different route for a claim that also requests lease termination.
A bailiff generally performs forced execution. For residential eviction, the bailiff must serve an execution notice at least five days in advance. TAL says evictions cannot occur on a holiday or from December 24 through January 2. Neither party can enforce an order through threats or private lock changes.
Common mistakes
- Using proof of mailing instead of proof of actual notification.
- Assuming a 45-day proof filing deadline means a hearing will wait 45 days.
- Missing a very short 10-day revocation or special review deadline while considering a 30-day appeal.
- Assuming every decision has the same execution date or that an appeal request automatically stops eviction.