Montreal Apartments for Rent

If searching and visiting Montreal apartments for rent is part of your next or present endeavor, important questions must be asked and, even more important, answers must be provided, analyzed and dealt with before signing a any kind of lease.

Questions such as: Are pets allowed? Am I responsible for maintenance bills? Can someone enter my apartment without my knowledge? Have there been any break-ins? Are leases furnished and/or not furnished available? What is the pet policy?

Ville-Marie Borough - Photo RLB

Montreal Apartment Rules

Can I decorate my apartment? How many sets of keys are there? How and when would you like the rent to be paid? Is the heating and/or electricity covered in the rent? Is there an Internet service in the building? Are pets such as cats and dogs allowed?

Landlords are not allowed to ask for a deposit or to increase the rent during the lease. However, after the lease has been signed, they are allowed to ask for the first monthly payment. Plus, in Quebec, the province, discrimination is not allowed. A landlord cannot refuse to sign a lease because of characteristics such as skin color, religion or age.

Ville-Marie Borough - Photo RLB

Furthermore, a lessor cannot lease an apartment that does not offer suitable lodging as in proper living quarters, proper accommodations and proper furniture when required. Suitable lodgings well ventilated, with a facility to control light and temperature and with minimum noise.

Dwellings in bad condition are a serious danger for the health and the safety of each and every occupant of all ages. Landlords who must make sure that each and every dwellings they are renting are fit for habitation and tenants who must respect the rules and regulations.

Montreal Apartment Tenants

According to the Tribunal administratif du logement formerly called Régie du Logement, some of the main obligations of the tenants include:

allow the landlord to verify the condition of the dwelling;
allow urgent and necessary repairs;
maintain the dwelling in clean condition;
make the lesser maintenance repairs in certain cases;
inform the landlord about a serious defect or deterioration.

Ville-Marie Borough - Photo RLB

Montreal Apartment Landlords

As for the main obligations of the landlords, they include:

maintain the dwelling in good habitable condition;
make all the necessary repairs, except those that are assumed by the tenant;
make sure that the number of occupants respect the normal conditions of comfort and sanitation.

Both the landlord occupying a dwelling in his own building and the tenant are entitled to what is called "peaceable enjoyment of the premises".

Ville-Marie Borough - Photo RLB

Montreal Apartment Rentals

Montreal apartments come in various types and, more importantly, in various sizes. For instance, a one in a half apartment comes with one large room, a small kitchen, a bathroom and is comfortable enough for one person.

A two and a half apartment also called a studio comes with a separate bedroom, a living room, a kitchen and a bathroom. Some are L shaped, others have a small alcove attached to the living room called a double room.

A three and a half apartment is a one-bedroom apartment usually large enough for a separate bedroom, a living room and a full kitchen. An apartment that varies in size depending on its location.

Ville-Marie Borough - Photo RLB

Montreal Apartment For Rent

A four and a half apartment has two bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen and a detached or semi-detached living room in sizes that vary widely.

A five and a half apartment is similar to a four and a half apartment but with an additional bedroom. The apartment is either a two-bedroom apartment or an apartment with a bedroom, a living room, a dining room and a kitchen.

Ville-Marie Borough - Photo RLB

Finally, a classic six and a half apartment has two full bedrooms, a smaller bedroom, a dining room, a living room and a separate kitchen.

Needless to say that prices vary depending on the size of the apartment and its location and, for your information, the "one and a half" refers to the bathroom considered a "half room".