Housing

Last updated 2 years ago

Housing

There is plenty of available housing in Montreal, but it may be difficult to find from abroad. Many apartment buildings simply post availability on the building itself, instead of having websites for specific rental agencies (though there are some). You can also search sites like and , or Facebook groups.

You can find useful resources at Concordia's Off-Campus Housing and Job Bank () or at .

Make sure there is a supermarket close to where you live (there’s few if you live super close to Loyola).

Sizes are not given in the number of bedrooms, but the total number of rooms, with a bathroom being ½. This means that a 1 ½ is a studio with a bathroom, a 3 ½ is 1-bedroom, with a kitchen, living room, and bathroom, 4 ½ is a 2-bedroom, etc.
Rent is often paid by cheque (or interac).
There are no deposits. This is great, until you show up to your new place and realize the previous tenants left a giant mess. If you haven’t been able to visit in person, be sure to have a couple days in your schedule in case you need to give the place a good scrubbing.
Usually, you need to give a reference from a previous landlord (who can confirm you pay your rent on time etc.). If you don't a previous Canadian landlord, you could pay first and last month’s rent as a deposit.
Quebec housing laws are very renter-friendly. Read up on your rights to avoid being taken advantage of. For example, you don’t need to accept a rent increase, or can negotiate a smaller rent increase. Also, it’s illegal for the previous tenant to make you buy their furniture as a condition for you getting the apartment.
99% of leases begin on July 1. This is pretty inconvenient if you’re only moving in August or September, but do not despair. You may be able to find someone looking to transfer their lease. This means you’d take over the rest of the lease, and you should have the possibility of renewing it (but be sure to check with the rental agency).

Note: many people start looking for apartments for September first, so the earlier you can arrive to Montreal, the better.

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Last updated 2 years ago

You can find useful resources at Concordia's Off-Campus Housing and Job Bank () or at .

Make sure there is a supermarket close to where you live (there’s few if you live super close to Loyola).

Sizes are not given in the number of bedrooms, but the total number of rooms, with a bathroom being ½. This means that a 1 ½ is a studio with a bathroom, a 3 ½ is 1-bedroom, with a kitchen, living room, and bathroom, 4 ½ is a 2-bedroom, etc.
Rent is often paid by cheque (or interac).
There are no deposits. This is great, until you show up to your new place and realize the previous tenants left a giant mess. If you haven’t been able to visit in person, be sure to have a couple days in your schedule in case you need to give the place a good scrubbing.
Usually, you need to give a reference from a previous landlord (who can confirm you pay your rent on time etc.). If you don't a previous Canadian landlord, you could pay first and last month’s rent as a deposit.
Quebec housing laws are very renter-friendly. Read up on your rights to avoid being taken advantage of. For example, you don’t need to accept a rent increase, or can negotiate a smaller rent increase. Also, it’s illegal for the previous tenant to make you buy their furniture as a condition for you getting the apartment.
99% of leases begin on July 1. This is pretty inconvenient if you’re only moving in August or September, but do not despair. You may be able to find someone looking to transfer their lease. This means you’d take over the rest of the lease, and you should have the possibility of renewing it (but be sure to check with the rental agency).

Note: many people start looking for apartments for September first, so the earlier you can arrive to Montreal, the better.