Finding a Rental in Montreal
Looking for an apartment starts with planning. What are your needs? What are your likes and dislikes? Here are some of the options you may wish to consider, along with a few benefits and drawbacks of each.
What you should know
Choosing your living situation
Renting on your own
- Perks: Total freedom and privacy, option to sublet part of the unit later on if you wish
- Things to consider: Bigger financial commitment, full responsibility for all of the obligations under the lease, can get lonely
Renting with roommates (co-living)
- Perks: Less expensive, built-in community (popular choice for students)
- Things to consider: Less privacy, shared responsibilities
Living in a student residence
- Perks: Practical (all-inclusive fees), more opportunities to socialize, shorter-term commitment
- Things to consider: Community living rules to follow
When to start looking for an apartment in Montreal
Many apartments in Montreal come with a 12-month lease that runs from July 1 to June 30 and that renews automatically from year to year. If a tenant decides not to renew the lease, this is generally done between January 1 and March 31, which is why most available apartments tend to be listed around this time. It’s therefore best to start your search in late winter or early spring (February/March).
Some leases do renew at other times of the year, and there are shorter-term rentals available, especially during the summer. Some apartment buildings in the Côte-des-Neiges neighbourhood catering specifically to the student population list units in the weeks leading up to September.
Tenant Tip
Beware of rental scams. Never sign a lease or give money to anyone without visiting the space in person.
Tenant Tip
It’s illegal in Quebec for a landlord to require a deposit of any kind. They may, however, ask for the first month’s rent (as opposed to first and last) up front.
One city, many communities
Montreal is made up of various boroughs and neighbourhoods, each of which has something unique to offer prospective residents. See below for more information on each to help you figure out where you want to be.
Nearby amenities and transportation
Before deciding where you’d like to live, check to see how handy the location is to things like grocery stores, public transit and other essential amenities.
Tenant Tip
Remember that there are three HEC Montréal buildings, two of which are located in the Côte-des-Neiges area and one in the downtown core (Ville-Marie borough).
Popular retailers in Montreal
- Drug stores (prescription and non-prescription medicines, personal hygiene products, cosmetics, snack foods, giftware and more): Jean Coutu, Brunet, Pharmaprix (the Quebec banner of Shoppers Drug Mart), Uniprix, Familiprix and Proxim
- Supermarkets (fresh/frozen groceries and ready-made meals): IGA, Metro, Maxi, Provigo, Walmart, Adonis, Super C
- Public markets (seasonally focused fare from local producers and artisans): Jean-Talon, Maisonneuve, Atwater, Jean-Brillant
- Neighbourhood grocers and produce vendors (sometimes referred to as fruiteries) and convenience stores (dépanneurs).
Public transit and active transportation
Bus
- DEC/CSC: Bus lines 51, 129, 161, 165, 435
- EHD: Bus line 150
Metro, commuter train and light-rail train (Réseau express métropolitain or REM)
- DEC/CSC: Université-de-Montréal and Côte-des-Neiges metro stations (blue line)
- EHD: Square Victoria–OACI metro station (orange line) and Central Station (commuter train and intercity rail)
Cycling
BIXI bike-sharing stations (pass or membership required) and free bicycle racks available at all three buildings
Tools and resources to help with your apartment search
When you’re apartment hunting, it’s best to look at as many places as you can. That way, you’ll increase your chances of finding something that suits your needs. The listings on the HEC Montréal website are one of these places, but there are many others. You can also walk around the neighbourhoods you’re interested in and look for “for rent” (à louer) signs.
Online rental listings
HEC en ligne listings
HEC en ligne => Services et outils => Logement
- Click “Services et outils”
- Select the “Logements” tab
- Click “Rechercher”
- Browse the listings under “Consulter les annonces de logement”
If you have an apartment or room to rent or sublet, you can post it on the HEC en ligne site:
- Note that it can take 24 hours or longer for your listing to appear on the site.
- Your listing will be deleted after a month. If the rental is still available and you wish to continue posting it, you’ll have to create another listing.
- If you wish to edit or remove an existing listing, please write to logement@hec.ca, indicating the listing number.
- HEC Montréal reserves the right to refuse posting or to take down any listing at any time.
Other rental listing sites
- Kijiji
- Facebook Marketplace and apartment rental groups
- Kangalou
- Les PAC
- Logis Québec
- Rentals.ca
- Louer.ca
- Housing Hawk
Tenant Tip
Pictures, videos, a high price and/or a detailed description aren’t enough to guarantee that a listing is genuine or accurate. A in-person visit is the only way to ensure that a rental meets your needs and expectations.
The neighbourhood walkabout: A winning strategy
Some landlords only advertise their vacancies with a sign outside their property. If you’re interested in apartments in a given area, go for a stroll and take notes!
Student residences
The HEC Montréal–Darlington residence rents private rooms to 40 full-time international students.
Short-term accommodations
Si vous n’avez pas encore trouvé de logement, réservez un hébergement temporaire pour les premières nuits à Montréal. Plusieurs possibilités s’offrent à vous : hôtel, auberge de jeunesse, couchsurfing, etc.
Any questions?
Feel free to reach out to us at logement@hec.ca