Julie Aiello

If you’re looking for a multicultural, charmingly hip, and lively city to call home, well, welcome to Montréal! This place has so many parks and green spaces to explore, restaurants to try, and landmarks to hit up that you might want to start packing your bags now. Take a stroll through picturesque neighbourhoods and catch a show at the many performing arts centers. But, before you get there, let’s give you the basics about this Canadian gem in our moving guide to Montréal.

Cost of Living in Montréal

Here are some facts and figures about the average cost of living to keep in mind before moving to Montréal.

• • Rent: the average cost to rent a 1-bedroom apartment is $1,310 and $1,620 for a 2-bedroom. These rates make Montréal the 5th most expensive city to rent in Canada.
  • Transportation: Montréal residents spend an average of 18.1% of their income on monthly transit passes. We’ll go into more detail on transportation options later.
  • Food costs: residents in Quebec spend 16.2% of their household budget on food, well higher than the national average of 14.3%.
  • Taxes: sales tax in Montréal is 9.975%.

Utilities

• Utilities: the average cost of utilities in Toronto is around $119.
  • Hydro Quebec: Electricity
  • Energir: Gas
  • Ville Montréal: Garbage, Water, and Sewage
• Internet: internet services range from $25-$100. Below are some of the largest providers in the Montréal area.
  • VM Media
  • Acanac
  • TekSavvy
  • EBOX

Weather

This place isn’t for the faint of heart. Montréal experiences all four seasons, and winter months see average temperatures dip below -6 degrees C. Its average snowfall hovers around 203 cm, but winter months also see lots of rainfall. Luckily, summer and late spring are pleasant, with average temperatures in the 20s. 

Montréal Neighbourhoods

Of course, living in certain parts of the city can alter your cost of living, so here are a few popular Montréal neighbourhoods.

• Little Italy: There might not be a more charming neighbourhood in all of Montréal than Little Italy. This hood is a diverse mix of old-timers, pizzerias, and plenty of green space. Head to the Jean-Talon Market for your fresh produce, cheeses, and catch-of-the-day seafood; it’s a local favourite.
• Mile End: Think the Brooklyn of Montréal. Mile End is packed with locally-owned bagel and coffee shops, boutique stores, and cocktail bars, giving locals plenty to do. This hip and artsy neighbourhood has multicultural roots and its entrepreneurial spirit draws an eclectic mix of people to its streets.
• Quartier des Spectacles: In Montréal’s entertainment district, you’ll find everything from comedy clubs and performing arts theaters to the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal and the Université du Québec à Montréal. It’s where Montréal goes out for a night on the town.
• Le Plateau-Mont-Royal: Sandwiched between Little Italy and Gay Village, the Plateau gives locals a taste of everything. It offers easy access to Mont Royal, is home to Schwartz’s Deli–famous for its smoked meat sandwiches–and boasts hip bars and eateries along Mont Royal Avenue.

Don’t Miss

Montréal’s massive green space, Mount Royal Park, was designed by American landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. Affectionately referred to as the city’s backyard, the park offers impeccable views of the city during both the day and night and provides ample space for biking, strolling, relaxing, and exploring. In the winter months, Mount Royal also gives locals a place to cross-country ski and ice skate. Montréal also boasts a collection–more than 50 pieces, in fact–of outdoor art sculptures. The Musée plein air de Lachine is the largest open air museum in Canada; spend a day checking out all the artwork by foot or bike. Spend a day and night out in Gay Village, Montréal’s LGBT-friendly neighbourhood. It’s North America’s largest gay village and its vibrant energy is contagious.

Transportation

Montréal has an expansive public transit system, and it’s fairly easy and inexpensive to use. The la Société de transport de Montréal, or the STM, is a bus and train system that covers most of the city. A single ride will run you about $3.75. 

How to Get to Montréal

The first thing to know about Montréal is that it’s an island. There are plenty of ways to get here, though. Route 112, Route 134, Autoroute 20, Route 138, QC 335, and many more options will get you onto the island from the surrounding areas. If you’re flying, Montréal Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport is conveniently located on the island. Bus 747 Express runs directly from downtown Montréal to the airport, and Ubers are now permitted to drop off and pick up passengers.

Relocating to Montréal from Toronto

From nearby Montréal, driving might be the easiest way to move. Head east on ON-401 and it’ll take you to your new city in just under 6 hours.

Relocating to Montréal from Vancouver

You’ll want to hop on a plane for this move. A road trip from Vancouver to Montréal would take you about 48 hours, so a flight out of Vancouver International Airport and into Montréal Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport is your most efficient option.

Tips for Moving to Montréal

• Do: make a trip to Basilique Notre-Dame in Old Montréal. The basilica dates back to 1824 and its Gothic revival architecture alone is worth the visit.
• Don’t: miss out on the chance to see tennis pros compete for the Rogers Cup. This annual event takes place the first week of August, so be sure to grab your tickets early.
• Do: check out the Gardens of Light at the Montréal Botanical Garden. Immerse yourself in this Chinese tradition and take in the beautiful, glittering lanterns that light up the garden.
• Don’t: forget your bike! Montréal is super bike-friendly. It even hosts the Montréal Go Vélo Festival in May and June every year where locals go on bike tours of the city, night rides, and more.

Montréal is truly a city filled with locals who enjoy life, and it’s easy to see why. From pizzerias and bike-friendly streets to massive city parks and hipster neighbourhoods, residents here have it all. Make sure you find the perfect Montréal apartment and, once you’re settled in, get excited to explore your new city.

Moving apartments can get a little pricey, especially if your new place has a bigger price tag than your old apartment or your security deposits overlap. It’s important to create a budget and stick to it so moving doesn’t break the bank. Here’s what to consider when setting a moving budget.

Make a List of Priorities

While it might not be the first thing you think to do, start by sitting down and thinking about what you actually need for your move (and what you can live without). For example, if you’re moving with lots of things or are moving across the country, hiring professional movers might be a priority for you. Unless you want to pack everything, load it all up in a UHAUL, and move it all into your new home, pro movers can really come in handy. That being said, if you’re moving across town or have few belongings, this probably isn’t a big priority for you.

Think about what else you need. Do you already have empty moving boxes and packing tape? What about bubble wrap or old newspaper for your fragile items? Will you be using your own cleaning supplies or hiring a cleaning service to do your final move-out clean? If you need to purchase cleaning supplies, put them on the list; if you’re hiring a professional service, make sure to factor their rates into your budget.

Factor in Your Moving Date

Moving in the middle of winter on a Tuesday probably sounds like the last thing you want to do, but it also might be the cheapest option. If you’re strapped on cash and have flexibility, consider moving during the weekday and outside of peak moving season (generally summer). Gas prices in peak season can soar, and moving companies usually charge more when demand is high.

If your moving date is already set in stone, just use the moving company’s quotes and you’ll have an estimate of how much the transportation aspect of the move will cost you. If you’re shipping your things and flying, be sure to account for the flight price, as airlines also ramp up prices during peak travel season.

Estimate Shipping Costs

Another option for getting your belongings to your new place is to ship them. For cross-country moves, Greyhound is a cheap way to ship your things. You’ll only pay for the number of items you’re shipping and can simply drop your belongings off at any greyhound station. Once you know exactly how many boxes, luggage pieces, or other items you will be sending with Greyhound, head to their website and get a total price estimate. The great thing is that you’ll know exactly how much it will cost you to ship your items. You can add the estimate to your overall moving budget and adjust the number of items, if necessary, in order to stay within your budget.

PODS are another great way to move long-distance, and they’re pretty stress-free. Choose between 3 different POD sizes and, once you enter in your moving information on their website, you’ll get a price estimate. If this is within your budget, schedule one to be delivered to you.

Road Tripping? Set a Budget

A road trip is a fun way to move, and might even be the most cost-effective. Before you take off for the open road, make sure to factor in all the costs associated with a road trip move. Will you be driving across multiple states? How many days will you be on the road? Things like lodging, food, and gas are necessary, but their costs can be kept low if you set a budget and stick to it.

• Instead of staying at hotels every night during your trip, switch it up and camp some nights; there are plenty of campgrounds at national and state parks across the country, and they’re much cheaper than hotel rooms
• If you’re renting a car for the trip, try getting the most fuel-efficient one you can; speak to the rental car company and let them know your needs
• Food can be a costly component on the road trip, especially when you’ve had just about enough of that trail mix; bring a variety of snacks that you enjoy but will also fill you up; different flavors of beef jerky, dried fruits, flavored almonds, and popcorn are great options, and they’ll keep your wallet happy

Create Your Moving Budget

Once you know what your priorities are, it’s easy to set a moving budget. Make sure you get estimates from everyone you’ll be working with throughout your move, like the cleaning service, professional movers, and rental car company.

• Add up all your costs associated with supplies and/or shipping your belongings
• Combine this with the price of the moving company and/or cleaning service
• Consider a road trip if you’re on a budget, and add up your expected costs
• Factor in your flight or gas prices and your moving date
• Adjust this budget as needed, based on how much you can actually afford to spend; remember, you still want to have some money to spend on getting settled into your new place

Don’t forget to check out our ultimate moving guide so you know exactly how to prepare for the big day. Get a head start on the search for your new home and check our all our apartments for rent. Once you find the one that’s right for you, get that moving budget set and start preparing for your move!

The dreaded move out. Whether you’re moving in with a significant other, crossing state lines for a job, or hunting for a new place all to yourself, the bottom line is the same: you need to clear out your old apartment. Before you get overwhelmed by all that this entails, get yourself familiar with a moving checklist and read our short guide below on what to do before moving out of your apartment.

Buy Moving Supplies

First things first, you need to buy your packing and moving supplies. If you don’t have them on hand, head to the store and pick up some these things to get you prepared.

• Moving boxes; these boxes from Staples come in all styles and sizes, but the cheaper ones usually require some assembly
• Clear packing or shipping tape; get a few rolls that come attached to plastic dispensers and it’ll make your life a whole lot easier
• Sharpies or box labels
• Bubble wrap
• Old newspaper

Moving also comes with some amount of cleaning, even if you hire professionals. If you don’t have it already, pick up some all-purpose cleaner, Magic Erasers (for the big marks and scuffs on your walls), and Swiffer pads. If you hire professional cleaners, you can save a little money by doing some of the easy stuff yourself, like dusting, cleaning the countertops, and sweeping the floors. Let the pros handle deep cleaning the oven, shower, kitchen grout, and other time-intensive tasks.

Downsize Your Belongings

A great way to get ready for the big move is to downsize. The last thing you want to do is pack things that you know you no longer want, wear, or need.

• Take inventory of your clothing; if you’re moving to a state where it doesn’t snow, maybe consider selling or donating your winter boots and jacket
• Old clothes and items you simply don’t want anymore can also be donated; try the Goodwill or Salvation Army
• Donate books you don’t read and household items you don’t use anymore
• Think about your furniture, too; if you’re moving down the street, maybe you want to keep that old dresser, but if you’re moving across the country, perhaps sell it and buy a new one when you get to your new home with the money you make selling your old one

Choose a Moving Company

Decide whether it’s worth it to hire professional movers to transport your belongings. Consider the amount of stuff you have, but also keep cost in mind. Are professional movers going to put you over budget or do you have a flexible one?

If you think you want to hire pros, make sure you do your research. Some companies offer a flat rate based on distance traveled and total items moved; others charge by the hour and factor gas, number of items, and size of items transported into their price. Be sure to read reviews from previous customers and find a reputable and respected company for your move.

Start Packing

Moving in the summer? Start boxing up those winter clothes and accessories. If you have lots of kitchen supplies, start packing up the ones you rarely use and tape the boxes up so you aren’t tempted to use them. This will help you get organized and start to feel a sense of accomplishment in the packing department.

Save all the items you use daily and pack them last. Think about what you use throughout a day: clothes for work, pajamas, hair accessories and products, makeup, toothbrush and toothpaste, coffee maker, etc. These are different for everyone, so make a list of things you want to keep out until the last minute and pack them together on your move-out day.

If you’ve hired professional movers, simply get your boxes and furniture ready to go and the movers will do all the heavy lifting.

Clean or Schedule a Cleaning Service

Like we said earlier, you can hire a professional cleaning service to do the deep cleaning, or you can do it yourself. You’ll save a pretty penny by cleaning your apartment all on your own, and you can rest assured that you’re going to clean it exactly how you want. After all, the condition of your apartment when you move out affects the amount of your security deposit you’ll get back.

If you choose to hire a cleaning service, make sure you schedule an appointment as close to your move-out date as possible.

• You’ll want to have moved all, if not most, of your things out of the apartment so the cleaners can do their job
• Make sure to be specific about what you want cleaned and negotiate a price; it might make sense to get everything in writing

Getting ready to move apartments isn’t the most fun you can have, but if you start planning early you’ll be in good shape come move-out day. Make sure you check out all our apartments for rent and find your next one before moving out.

Most people don’t realize they have certain rights when it comes to renting an apartment. In fact, there are many things you, as a renter, are entitled to in your living situation. It’s important to know your tenant rights so that you are aware of what you can and cannot do in certain situations. With that in mind, here’s the skinny on renters’ rights.

1. What are my basic rights?

Every renter is entitled to the same basic rights in terms of the home or apartment’s condition. They are the rights to:

• A habitable home
• Working appliances
• Hot water and operable toilets
• Doors that lock
• No leaks in the roof
• Windows in working condition
• Lights for exterior walkways

2. How long should it take for a landlord to fix something?

You should give your landlord a reasonable amount of time to fix a problem or issue with your rental. Provide your landlord 30 days (again, check your state laws) to make repairs, replace appliances, or fix maintenance issues before raising suspicion.

3. Can you withhold rent for repairs?

Yes–depending on your state laws. Withholding rent means you essentially stop paying rent to your landlord because they have yet to fix something in your rental that affects its habitability. This can be something like not having hot water or dealing with a broken heater in the winter. It can’t be something like a squeaky door or a leaky faucet; these are considered minor repairs and aren’t grounds for withholding rent.

Before you withhold rent, make sure you’ve put your repair requests into writing and have given your landlord sufficient time to make the repairs. Make sure to look up specific city requirements before withholding rent; some cities

4. What is normal wear and tear?

Normal wear and tear are things that happen over time while living in a rental. Examples include:

• Small stains on the carpet
• Knicks/marks on the walls
• Loose door knobs
• Appliances losing their shine

Wear and tear is not the same thing as damage. When landlords do their move-out walk-through, they are looking to see if you’ve damaged any part of the rental. This could include:

• Holes in the walls, doors, or floorboards
• Broken appliances for which you haven’t made maintenance requests
• Damaged doors
• Large stains on the carpet (think: a whole bottle of wine)

5. How many days notice does a landlord have to give to evict a tenancy at will?

If a landlord has given you a notice to quit, they need to give you one of the two:

• A 7-day notice
• A 30-day notice

You have a few options once you’ve received the notice.

• Accept the notice and move out within the 7-day or 30-day period
• Fix the problem that your landlord used as reason for eviction; if you had too many people living in your rental, weren’t taking care of the yard as the lease specified, etc. then resolve the issue and speak to your landlord about allowing you to stay
• Do nothing and stay in the rental

If you choose option three and do nothing, your landlord may file an unlawful detainer (UD) suit against you so that the eviction process continues to move forward. This will require you to appear at a hearing on a specific date to go over the details of your eviction, and see if there’s anything you can do to fight it.

6. Can a landlord charge you to paint?

Usually no, but it depends. A tenant is not responsible for normal wear and tear on the apartment and, depending on your state’s laws, landlords are almost always responsible for painting the interior of the apartment. If you’ve caused damage to the walls during your time there and the landlord needs to paint them while you’re still residing in the rental, the landlord may charge you to have the walls painted. Work this out with your landlord before signing the lease so each of you knows what’s expected.

7. Can you sue a landlord for emotional distress?

Yes! We all know our emotional wellbeing can be affected by our living situation, and that’s something your landlord should keep in mind. If your landlord has failed to make a repair that has, consequently, affected your health or wellbeing, has discriminated against you for illegal reasons, or done something that has caused you physical or emotional harm, you can sue them for emotional distress.

If there’s a repair you want fixed, make sure you put it in writing and give your landlord reasonable time to make the repair. Should the landlord refuses to fix the problem, keep all documentation of your request and any correspondence you’ve had with them. The same goes for any form of discrimination you may have endured; keep all related documentation that shows you’ve been discriminated against. You can take your landlord to small claims court and sue for emotional distress, using your documents as evidence.

8. Is housing discrimination illegal?

Yes, there are many things that are illegal for landlords to discriminate based upon. The Fair Housing Act, passed in 1968, made it illegal to discriminate a tenant based on race, color, origin, religion, sex, familial status, or disability. If you think you have been discriminated against because of one or more of these, you can fill out the online form on the HUD website.

As a renter, you have many rights, and it’s our goal to help you understand them. Use this as a guide and get familiar with your rights before moving into your new apartment.

Renting an apartment from a landlord or property manager comes with the understanding that the space is not going to be yours forever. In fact, landlords have made this property their investment, so it makes sense that they want to keep it in good shape, and performing an occasional inspection is their way of keeping tabs on the property’s condition. Here’s what you need to know about an apartment inspection, and what it means for you as a renter.

What is a routine inspection?

A routine inspection involves a landlord, maintenance worker, or property manager coming to your apartment and walking through it. They usually look for, and take notes on, any damages to the unit, changes made to the interior, or alterations to the outside of the property. A routine inspection usually happens while you’re living in the unit, and you may or may not be home while it occurs. It’s similar to a move-in or move-out walk-through, which we will touch on later.

Are landlords allowed to inspect your apartment?

Yes, landlords are legally allowed to inspect your property. After all, it’s their property and they own it, so it’s natural that they would want to check up on it every so often.

• Landlords have to give you notice; they cannot just show up unannounced and enter your unit
• They can, however, drive or walk past the property to ensure that the exterior is up to par; landlords are not allowed to be on the property without your permission, so during these “drive-by inspections” they can only look at the apartment from the outside

How much notice does a landlord have to give for an inspection?

In general, your landlord must give you at least 24 hours notice. Anywhere from 24-48 hours is normal, with some landlords even giving notice weeks in advance. Read your lease to see if there is anything specific to this. Your lease may state the number of inspections the landlord is allowed to perform per year, or how much notice they need to give you before each inspection. There might even be an inspection schedule set up beforehand. Read your lease thoroughly to know for sure.

How often should a rental property be inspected?

Depending on your landlord, they may want to inspect the rental property anywhere from one to three times per year. It’s normal for them to want to check on their investment this often. If your landlord is inspecting it multiple times a month, that’s a bit out of the ordinary. You might want to have a sit-down conversation with your landlord if this is the case and reassure them that you are taking care of the property.

What are landlords checking for?

Landlords are usually looking to see that all parts of the apartment or home are in the same shape they were before you moved in. The following are a few things they might be looking for:

• Holes in the walls
• Gouges in the hardwood flooring
• Broken appliances
• Evidence of a pet, if pets were not allowed
• They also want to see that the fire and smoke detectors are in working condition

Move-In and Move-Out Walk-Through

Landlords will usually do a move-in inspection with you. This is your chance to make note of anything you see wrong with the unit. Are there marks on the walls? Do the all the appliances work? Are there any window treatments that need to be fixed? Be sure to inspect the apartment just as much as your landlord during the move-in walk-through.

They’ll also do a move-out walk-through, which could either be with or without you. This is when they’ll make note of any damages, alterations, or problems with the condition of the unit. As long as you have documented any pre-existing damages during your move-in walk-through, you should be in good shape when it comes time to get your security deposit back.

Getting ready to search for a new place? Check out our apartments for rent and keep this inspection information in mind when you get settled in.