Please complete your profile to unlock commenting and other important features.

User AvatarBuild your avatar
Please select your date of birth for special perks on your birthday. Your username will be your unique profile link and will be publicly used in comments.
MTL Blog Pro

This is a Pro feature.

Time to level up your local game with MTL Blog Pro.

Pro

$5/month

$40/year

  • Everything in the Free plan
  • Ad-free reading and browsing
  • Unlimited access to all content including AI summaries
  • Directly support our local and national reporting and become a Patron
  • Cancel anytime.

montreal apartments

montreal news

I tested my filtered fridge water against Montreal tap water and the results surprised me

If you're one of the many people who paid extra for a fridge with a built-in water filter, you probably assume it's quietly handling the stuff you don't want in your glass. I've always treated mine that way, swapping it out every six months like clockwork, confident it was giving me something cleaner than what comes straight from Montreal's taps.

Until now, at least.

Keep readingShow less
montreal news

I tested my Montreal apartment's tap water to see if it's really safe to drink

Do you trust Montreal tap water, or is there still a part of you that wonders what's really in it?

I've never really been a tap water person. In my kitchen, the fridge's built-in filter has always been my safety net, and I refill my bottle straight from it without thinking. It's not that Montreal's water tastes bad, but I've always had this lingering doubt about what else might be swimming in it.

Keep readingShow less
montreal apartments for rent

6 Things Tenants Need To Know Before Renting A Montreal Apartment

As average rent creeps up, finding quality, affordable Montreal apartments is becoming increasingly difficult, even for people who have lived here their whole lives. An abundance of suspicious listings and sketchy landlords poses an additional challenge.

For those from outside of Montreal, especially international students, it’s understandably common to be unaware of local housing rights and the regulations that protect them. This can lead to people falling for scams and making avoidable mistakes that can make or break their time in the city.

Keep readingShow less

A Quebec Bill Would Make It Illegal For Landlords To Ban Pets

Québec Solidaire is throwing a bone to pet owners in the midst of the province's ongoing housing crisis. The party introduced Quebec's first bill aimed at allowing animals in residential spaces in the National Assembly on May 25. If passed, the bill would make it illegal for rental properties to turn away tenants with four-legged roommates.

The legislation, presented by Laurier-Dorion MNA and Québec Solidaire housing critic Andrés Fontecilla, aims to relieve the stress of pet owners hunting for affordable housing.

Keep readingShow less

Here's What $800 In Rent Can Get You In 7 Montreal Areas

With Montreal's average listing rent exceeding $1,600 this year, your chances of finding a home for less may be dwindling. But that doesn't mean there aren't cheaper apartments out there, though they might not be downtown or in Westmount. For those who are comfortable sharing a home with a stranger, the prospects are a little better, but this list is primarily composed of apartments meant for one person.

The size, and frankly, the quality of each apartment will vary by area and price point, but we stuck to places at or under the $800 threshold to see what's out there at half the average rent. Peruse these available rentals to get a glimpse of what renting really looks like for those who aren't on software dev salaries, or just to think about how lucky you are to live in that Parc La Fontaine-view walkup.

Keep readingShow less

Montreal's Average Rent Is Over $1,600 For A One-Bedroom — Get Ready To Find A Roommate

Renting in Montreal is an extreme sport, with obstacles everywhere and a barrier to entry higher than the tallest outdoor staircase. There is little positive news to be gleaned from the real estate market these days, but if you're looking for cheaper rents than in Toronto, you're ever-so-slightly in luck — but maybe not for much longer.

Montreal's average rent among active apartment listings is now more than $100 higher than it was at the beginning of 2023, with the citywide average at $1,686 for an unfurnished one-bedroom apartment, according to data aggregated by liv.rent.

Keep readingShow less

What $1,000 In Rent Can Get You In 9 Montreal Neighbourhoods

According to a recent liv.rent report, Montreal's average rent is now well over the $1,000 mark, but plenty of renters pay just around one grand each month to keep themselves sheltered. Not every $1,000 apartment is made equal, though — different neighbourhoods have vastly different rental markets, with floor space, number of rooms and other amenities varying widely across the island, even at a similar price point.

Here's a snapshot of apartments currently on the market in Montreal, in neighbourhoods from LaSalle to Villeray. Each listing advertises approximately $1,000 in monthly rent. Leeway was given in either direction, especially for cheaper apartments that are visibly much nicer than their $1,000 competitors.

Keep readingShow less

Montreal's Average Rent Is Creeping Towards $2K In Several Areas — Here's Where It's Cheapest

Montreal's rental market is feeling some of the same strain as the rest of the economy, with rent prices approaching the $2,000 mark in many neighbourhoods despite a history of lower rents, according to a new report from liv.rent. This news may be a little bleak, but at least you'll be better informed by the end of it.

Last year, prices hovered under the $1,500 mark — this year, things are markedly worse. The average rent in March 2023 was $1,618 for an unfurnished one-bedroom apartment, compared to $1,393 in March 2022.

Keep readingShow less

Average Rent Increases Around Quebec Were Bad In 2022 — Here's Why They'll Probably Get Worse

Apartment dwellers will feel the squeeze this year in Quebec. According to a market forecast by Desjardins, the average Quebec rent could surge by as much as 10% in 2023 as new unit construction stagnates even amid an increase in demand.

Desjardins forecasts the provincewide vacancy rate, the number of empty apartments as a share of the total number of units, could therefore plummet to just 1%, compared to 1.7% in 2022.

Keep readingShow less
real estate montreal

Montreal's Average Rent Is Already Increasing In 2023, But These Areas Are Staying Cheap

The average rent across Montreal is still hovering above the $1,500 mark, a far cry from the worst neighbourhoods in Toronto or Vancouver, but still hundreds more than the average rent in previous years. In February of 2022, Montreal's average rent was $1,414, according to liv.rent. Now, it's climbed to nearly $1,600 — but some areas are being hit harder than others.

Traditionally cheaper neighbourhoods, like Hochelaga-Maisonneuve or Villeray-Parc-Extension are seeing slower increases than pricier areas like downtown or Westmount. In Hochelaga, the average two-bedroom will cost you $1,755, much less than downtown's whopping $2,540 average.

Keep readingShow less

Here's How Much Your Quebec Rent Could Go Up In 2023

Rent, like the price of everything else, is probably going to increase for many Quebecers. The province's housing authority has released its breakdown of costs landlords should weigh when determining rent in 2023. Tenants' actual rent adjustments will vary. Landlords can make changes based on their own situations. And renters have a right to contest those changes.

But following its 2023 guidelines, the Tribunal administratif du logement (TAL) says a tenant in a hypothetical $1,000/month unheated apartment could see their rent increase by 2.3%. A hypothetical 5% municipal tax increase could mean a rent hike of more like 2.9%

Keep readingShow less

How Much You Need To Make To Afford Rent In Quebec

Ask any Montrealer and you'll soon learn that the housing market is in crisis. A new report released by the Front d'action populaire en réaménagement urbain (FRAPRU), an organization that advocates for housing rights, confirms these anecdotes: housing in Quebec is a dire struggle, for some more than others.

In their 25-page report, FRAPRU notes that the vacancy rate should be 3% to consider the market "balanced," per the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). The CMHC's 2022 report revealed that markets across Quebec fell well below this threshold. In Montreal, the sum reaches that 3% number, but Laval as well as other northern and southern municipalities have vacancy rates as low as 0.5%.

Keep readingShow less