Frequently Asked Questions

Questions and answers for housing applicants

How do I fill out an application for a low-rent apartment?

You will find the five stages to submit an application for subsidized housing on the page Submit an application.

I’d like information on affordable apartments with services for seniors.

You can obtain more information about our seniors residences with services at: www.residencesenharmonie.qc.ca.

How can I check the availability of affordable housing for families and people living alone?

You can check our offer of affordable housing, which is updated regularly, on this website, in the Available housing section. You can also contact us by phone at 514-483-4118.

How do I send you documents requested by the Housing Application Department representatives?

You can e-mail them to us, mail them to us at 400, boulevard Rosemont, Montréal (Québec), H2S 0A2 or drop them in our mailbox located at this same address. 

I’ve been waiting a long time for a low-rent apartment. Is there any way I can speed up my application?

Your place on the eligibility list is good for one year. Keep your application valid by renewing it each year and updating it whenever there is a change in the composition of your household. You must also report any change in your eligibility information, including a change of address or telephone number.

Can I change my choice of territories?

Yes. Please call our Housing Application Department at 514-868-5588 about any changes in choice of territories that you would like to make.

How do I change my address or phone number in my application for low-rent housing?

For any changes in your file, please call our Housing Application Department at 514-868-5588, send an email by clicking here or write to us at at 400, boulevard Rosemont, Montréal (Québec), H2S 0A2. You can also drop them in our mailbox located at this same address. 

Can I get a subsidy for my apartment?

If you are interested in receiving a subsidy allowing you to stay in your current apartment, we can register this interest in your file. Please note, however, that the allocation of these subsidies, if they are available, is done in the same way as for low-rent housing or PSL programs, i.e. in compliance with the Règlement sur l'attribution des logements à loyer modique and the classification of applications on the waiting lists.

Some tenants can get a subsidy under the shelter allowance program. However, if you are a tenant in a low-rent unit, you are not eligible for it. Please check the information on the Revenu Québec site.

How can I find out my position on the waiting list?

You can check your position online, by selected territory, by clicking the “Check Your Eligibility List Position Online” tab of the Housing Application section. You will need to enter your reference number. Positions are updated each month around the 20th day.

A person who does not have Internet access can also call us at 514-868-5588 to check their position.

Questions and answers for low-rent housing tenants

How is my rent calculated?

The basic rent is 25% of all household members’ income and charges.

What is included in the rent?

• heating
• hot water
• municipal and school taxes

What is not included in the rent?

• electricity
• air-conditioning
• parking fees

In what situations is a rent supplement payable?

A rent supplement is payable for any other household member aged 18 and over and not in education.

My income has dropped. Am I entitled to a rent reduction?

You may apply for a rent reduction. Please contact your rental agent - lease management by calling the call center: 514 872-6646

What is the duration of my lease?

Normally, leases are valid for 12 months.

How do I cancel my lease?

Please inform the OMHM in writing three (3) months before leaving. You must send your letter to your rental agent - lease management.

You must contact the call center: 514 872-6646 to find out the address of your rental agent based on your address (Eastern Territory or Western Territory).

No fees will be due. 

If there are changes in the composition of my household, what do I need to do?

If there are changes in the composition of your household, please inform us in writing. Once we have received this information, we can allocate to you an apartment of an appropriate size for your needs. This information is also important to calculate the amount of rent you will have to pay.

You must send your letter to your rental agent - lease management. You must contact the call center: 514 872-6646 to find out the address of your rental agent based on your address (Eastern Territory or Western Territory).

What’s the Call Centre’s number?

To help our tenants, the OMHM has a dedicated line: 514-872-OMHM (6646), where you can speak to a representative.

What issues does the Call Centre handle?

Call Centre staff take requests for maintenance, repairs, security services and pest extermination and forward them to building maintenance workers. They can also answer certain questions relating to the lease or redirect the questions to the correct rental agent. If you are calling for an emergency, however, the Call Centre will send someone the same day.

What’s an emergency?

An emergency is a situation that poses a hazard to someone’s life or endangers a building’s physical integrity. Here are a few examples: blocked toilet, fire, battered down door or serious water damage.

How long does it take for a non-urgent repair?

Non-urgent repairs are usually made within seven working days. They may take longer if materials are not in stock. It may also take longer for major work performed by contractors, such as renovating a bathroom or kitchen, changing the flooring, repairs due to serious damages, etc.

What are the Call Centre’s hours?

The OMHM Call Centre is open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., 7 days a week, 365 days a year. There is also someone on duty at night from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. At night, tenants are asked to call only in case of an emergency. Please make non-urgent calls during the Call Centre’s regular opening hours.

How can I get the contact of my rental agent?

You can request the name and contact information of your rental agent by calling the call center: 514 872-6646

What can I do about a problem with another tenant?

Living in an apartment building means sharing a bit of everyone’s lifestyle. It is important to be as understanding and tolerant as possible of everyday situations that disturb you.

If that doesn’t work, speak to your neighbour and politely explain your issue. If you have no success, talk with your rental agent. Our employee will try to help you or direct you to the tenant relations representative.

If the situation remains the same, you can file a complaint with your sector’s director of tenant services or with your building’s director of maintenance and repairs.

If you have no luck there, contact the Complaints Office by phone at 514-868-5999, by fax at 514-868-5000, by email (click here) or by mail sent to: Complaints Office, 400, boulevard Rosemont, Montréal (Québec), H2S 0A2. You can also go personally from 8:30 a.m. to noon, Monday through Thursday.

How can I change my low-rent apartment?

For any apartment change request, you must discuss your situation with your rental agent - lease management. You must contact him by calling the call center: 514 872-6646

What services are available on holidays?

The Call Centre is open on holidays to take your calls. However, please note that only emergencies can be dealt with.

General questions and answers

Are we permitted to have pets?

Pets are allowed in OMHM apartments, but must be kept on a leash when outside the home. They must not bother or injure other tenants, nor damage OMHM property. Their droppings must also be collected without fail.

How many people can live in one low-rent housing unit?

The number of people comprising the household (people living alone, couple or family) determines the type of housing and number of rooms that can be allocated:

• a studio for a single person;
• a one-room unit for a single person or a couple;
• one bedroom more for each additional person.

However, a single bedroom is allocated for:

• two (2) children younger than 7; or
• two (2) children under 14 and of the same gender, in so far as their age difference is no more than 6 years.

Is it possible to have an additional room for a member of the household living with a disability?

One additional bedroom may be allocated to a person whose handicap or means of coping with the handicap prevents them from sharing a room.

Is it possible to have a room for a child in shared custody?

Yes, if a child is in shared custody, an additional bedroom may be allocated only if the child remains in the household concerned for at least 40% of the time.

Why is it that only those people whose names appear on the lease are authorized to live in the apartment?

Because the size of the allocated home is determined by the number of persons included in the lease and because the rent is determined by the income of all people living in the unit. That's why only those people included in the lease are permitted to live in the unit.

How can I get general information?

This site contains a lot of useful information. However, if you cannot find the answer to your question, please call us at 514-872-6442.

info@omhm.qc.ca