How Not to Stress When You Need to a Find an Apartment in Montreal

Renting an apartment in Montreal isn’t as easy as it used to be. As the vacancy rate has fallen, there’s more competition for great places. Meanwhile, rapid job growth in the late 2010s and during the post-pandemic recovery has meant competition from tenants with higher incomes and in more desirable neighbourhoods.

As it’s gotten tougher to find a great deal on Montreal apartments for rent, there are some things every renter should know about finding a great place.

Neighbourhood Matters: Where You Live Impacts Your Rent

Not all neighbourhoods are created equally, and living in some neighbourhoods will definitely come with a premium. Across the Greater Montreal region, you can generally find much cheaper one-bedroom apartments in places like Hochelaga-Maisonneuve and Ahuntsic-Cartierville. Iberville, Beauharnois, Bellefeuille, Charlemagne, and other small communities on the South and North Shores will also offer more affordable rental prices.

More central locations tend to come with a steeper price, as do wealthy neighbourhoods well-known for their amenities or wealthy residents.

Fortunately, Montreal still has some great neighbourhoods where you can get a great apartment for less. Start searching online to identify neighbourhoods with better deals.

Get Out and Explore: Get a Feel for Your New Part of Town

If it’s time to move on from your current neighbourhood, one of the best things you can do on your apartment hunt is to explore the area around potential new apartments. If you’re not already familiar with the area you’re looking at, check out the proximity to essentials like grocery stores and pharmacies. You should definitely take a walk down the nearest main street to get a feel for what it offers.

Make sure the neighbourhood fits your priorities and your lifestyle or that you have a quick transit connection to your favourite hangouts.

What to Check Before You Sign a Lease?

There are some key pieces of information you need before you commit to signing a lease. If you have a pet, be sure to check with the landlord that they won’t be an issue. Quebec’s laws around rental housing do not say anything about pets, and it can depend entirely on what your lease says.

You should also check details like whether or not utilities are included in the rent.

Check the Condition of the Apartment

Viewing an apartment is about getting a feel for the space, but it should also be about checking the condition of the apartment. When you’re there, check for things like:

• Water pressure

• Evidence of water leaks in the walls or ceiling

• Placement and number of electrical outlets

• Lighting

• The type of heating

• Drafts and leaks around windows and doors

• Cleanliness

Many of Montreal’s apartment buildings and triplexes can be quite old, so you want to give an apartment a quick inspection before you sign the lease.

Signing a Lease: What Are Your Rights and Responsibilities?

In Quebec, when a residential lease ends, it renews automatically for the same duration (unless the original was for longer than 12 months) without the need for a notice. Leases are commonly for 12 months, but there are arrangements where they are shorter.

Once you have signed a lease, there are only a handful of ways that you can terminate it early. You are still responsible for it, even if you go through a divorce, lose your job or buy a house. However, you are able to sublet or assign the lease to someone else.

Renting in Montreal doesn’t have to give you an anxiety attack. Try these tips to make the hunt for your next apartment easier.

This article was produced in partnership with Kijiji.

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