Last year saw a record number of complaints filed at the Quebec Rental Board for unsanitary conditions in apartments.
Numbers obtained by the Journal de Montreal show over 500 complaints were filed, mostly in Montreal, for problems such as mold and cockroaches.
Maxime Roy-Allard, spokesman for an advocacy group for tenants' rights said the numbers don't surprise him.
"We see a lot of mold, rats, bedbugs," said Roy-Allard of the Regroupement des comités logements et associations de locataires du Québec.
Tenants and landlords often blame each other for the dirty conditions, claiming negligence - ranging from old and dilapidated buildings to ventilation problems.
"Tenants know that the waits are really long so they don't use the rental board very much," said Roy-Allard in an interview with CJAD 800 News.
Roy-Allard said such cases can take a long time to settle before the Quebec Rental Board and the city of Montreal should be more proactive to prevent cases from getting to that stage.
"We don't see enough being done on the field by inspectors, by the city," said Roy-Allard.
"We really hope that the new administration will work harder on landlords who just let their apartments (deteriorate) in really bad conditions."
Roy-Allard said the city can do more to help reduce the number of cases.
"(For example), giving fines to landlords. They can even make the repairs for the landlords if they don't react fast enough and then give them the bill," said Roy-Allard.
"They have those powers but they don't use them enough."
Out of 512 complaints, 310 were from Montreal.