Quebec Illegal Deposit Recovery — CCQ art. 1904
Quebec stage-1 letter for recovering an illegally collected security deposit. Quebec is the only Canadian province that PROHIBITS residential security deposits — CCQ art. 1904 makes them illegal outright. This letter demands restitution under art. 1554, additional indemnity under art. 1619, and damages under art. 1863; punitive damages under art. 1902 only if harassment threshold is met. Signals a TAL filing if landlord does not return. 3-year limitation under CCQ art. 2925. Bilingual (English + French phrasing); UPL-safe under Loi sur le Barreau ss.128-129.
Statute of Limitations Warning
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Why this letter works:
- Cites the exact law: Automatically applies the correct state and federal statutes to your situation.
- Sets a firm deadline: Legally compels a response within the required statutory timeframe.
- Creates a paper trail: Designed to serve as Exhibit A if you need to escalate to an agency or court.
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Your tenancy
Quebec is the only Canadian province where security deposits are illegal. CCQ article 1904 prohibits them outright. If your landlord collected one from you, you can get it back.
This letter will cite
Quebec Civil Code (CCQ) art. 1554, 1619, 1863, 1892, 1893, 1900, 1902, 1904, 1621, 2925; Loi sur le Tribunal administratif du logement RLRQ c.T-15.01; Loi sur le Barreau RLRQ c.B-1 ss.128-129
Your letter cites art. 1904 (the prohibition), art. 1554 (restitution), art. 1619 (additional indemnity), and signals a TAL application if the landlord does not return the deposit.
Include any deposit, pet deposit, key deposit, OR last-month rent collected in advance beyond the first payment period.
Used for the 3-year prescription under CCQ art. 2925.
Before you start
What exactly do I get, and when?
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Is this legal advice?
Self-help template; not legal advice / Ne constitue pas un avis juridique. The Loi sur le Barreau ss.128-129 reserves paid legal advice / representation to Barreau members. Self-representation at TAL is permitted. For free support: TAL 1-800-683-2245; RCLALQ; FRAPRU; Éducaloi; local comité logement.
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Do I have to pay to know if I have a case?
No. The rights encyclopedia on this site is free and cites the same primary sources the letter does. Read the relevant guide first — plenty of situations are resolved by a phone call to a free statutory body, and where one exists we say so.