This may be coming a little late for the moving season in Quebec, as most people here have already signed leases and moved into new digs for the first of July. But I thought it might be useful for young adults who are looking for fall housing to go to CEGEP or university. Many apartment applications these days ask for information such as the social insurance number (SIN), health insurance (Medicare) number, or your driver’s license number. You may also be asked for this kind of identifying information in order to procure utilities for your dwelling.
Are you required to provide this information? Here’s what the Commission d’accès à l’information says on their web site:
Is Hydro-Québec entitled to require me to give my social insurance number?
Answer: Yes, under By-law 634 respecting the conditions governing the supply of electricity approved by the Government in 1996.Who can require me to give my social insurance number?
Answer: The social insurance number (SIN) is issued by the federal government, generally for employment and income tax purposes. Thus, your employer, the ministère du Revenu du Québec, the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency and Hydro-Québec can require you to give your SIN, as can any other public body that justifies collection of this information by law or regulation.When am I obliged to present my health insurance card?
Answer: The Québec Health Insurance Act specifies that taking the health insurance card number can only be required for purposes related to the provision of services or the supply of goods or resources related to health or social services.
You may also use this card if you are asked to validate your last name, first name and date of birth. However, this validation does not allow the health insurance card number to be taken.When am I obliged to present my driver’s permit?
Answer: The Highway Safety Code indicates that the holder of a driver’s permit is only bound to produce it at the request of a peace officer or the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec and only for road safety purposes.
If you are a prospective tenant you may also want to download the brochure, Leases and the protection of personal information, available free of charge from the Commission. Another resource for information on your rights and obligations as a tenant is the Régie du logement. It is very important for folks from out of province to refer to this web site, as rules regarding payments some landlords will require (e.g. key deposit, first and last month’s rent, etc.) are different in Quebec than in other jurisdictions. Learn your rights to avoid paying fees that a landlord cannot legally require!
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Tags: confidentiality, deposits, first and last month's rent, identity, lease, producing identification, Quebec law, renting a dwelling
