Housing options

Most students are successful in finding an apartment or roommates within one to two weeks of arriving in Montreal. Here are some resources to help you find your apaprtment:

• classifieds.csu.qc.ca — see ads posted by other Concordia students looking for roommates, or individual apartments posted by landlords looking for student tenants. You can register to view ads using your offer of admission letter. 
• likehome.info — offers useful information about different aspects of renting an apartment in Montreal, including an overview of Montreal neighbourhoods.
• places4students.com — Concordia has partnered with Places4students to offer off-campus housing options
• Kijiji and Facebook Marketplace have listings for short- and long-term rentals all over Montreal.
• You may also wish to look into Woodnote housing co-op,  an initiative designed by and for students.  
• Contact the Off-Campus Housing and Job Resource Centre (HOJO) at hojo@csu.qc.ca. HOJO has been an integral part of the Concordia campus by providing reliable housing and employment information, resources and referrals.
   

To help you understand the ads you will see, here are the apartment sizes in Montreal

• a 1½ is a large room with kitchenette and bathroom;
• a 2½ is two separate rooms, plus bathroom.
• a 3½ has a separate bedroom, living room, kitchen and bathroom;
• a 4½ has two bedrooms, a living room, kitchen and bathroom;
• a 5½ usually has three bedrooms, and so on.

Living alone can get expensive! An easy way to cut down your housing costs is to find a roommate or two! If you need help finding a roommate, you can take a look at these helpful resources:

• classifieds.csu.qc.ca - post and reply to ads for roommates on the HOJO Classfieds site
• Concordia University student associations and groups - a great way to find potential roomates with similar interests.

Finding the neighbourhood that best suits your needs and wants is difficult when you are unfamiliar with the city. Tourisme Quebec has a list of Montreal neighbourhoods which can help you find the right one for you.

If you woul dlike to know more about the average rent per neighbourhood, as well as the local ouclic transit options available in it, take a look at this Average neighbourhood price ranges chart.

Rents vary depending on the buildings age, size, condition and location. In general, apartments are not furnished, but many are equipped with a refrigerator and stove. You will need to pay separately for electricity and heat if they are not included in the rent.

There are some questions you should ask before signing a lease, such as:

• Clarify what would be included in the rent and what is your responsibility.
• Confirm the date on which you can move-in
• Ask if major appliances are included, such as the refrigerator and stove, or if you will have to provide your own.
• Find out whether heat is included. If not, plan for extra costs during the winter. You can check with Hydro Québec for the approximate cost of your electricity bill.
  
• Ask about the unit's history with vermin, pests and damages.

It is important to have answers to these questions before you sign your lease, since a lease is a legally binding document.

Rental scams can take on many forms. The goal may be to get money or personal information from apartment hunters for something that either doesn’t exist, or an apartment they have no legal right to rent.

During these unprecedented times of the COVID-19 pandemic, apartment hunters are more vulnerable to scams. Looking for an apartment is already stressful enough without the added time pressure and inability to visit in person. Luckily, there are many ways to lower the likelihood of getting caught in an apartment scam. Trust your gut and be critical when looking for an apartment. If something feels weird with the listing, if the application process is rushed or if the apartment seems too good to be true, it may be a scam.

Red flags (things to watch for)

• The apartment is too good to be true: Whenever you see an apartment that seems too good to be true, it probably is. An apartment that is very cheap for the size or area is a red flag.
• You are asked to send money before signing a lease or visiting the apartment (virtually or physically).
• You are asked to pay with online coupons, money transfer, cryptocurrency or other untraceable methods of payment.
• The landlord is too eager or pushy: This can be suspicious. They might claim that there is a lot of interest in the apartment to pressure you into an agreement.
• Asking for too much information.
• Requiring a deposit of more than the first month of rent when signing the lease — in Quebec, any kind of deposit is illegal.
• Refusing to sign a lease: If a landlord wants you to pay rent or any other fee without signing a lease, it might be because they don’t have a legal right to rent out that apartment, or it doesn’t exist.
• The landlord is “out of the country”: A common rental scam is a ‘landlord’ who claims they’re out of the country. Scammers may even pretend to be an agent for a real estate company or a management company acting on behalf of a landlord who’s out of the country. To verify that the person behind the listing is the landlord, do your own background check on the municipal directory of property owners or do a Google search on the management company to see if they’re trustworthy.

Tips to avoid rental scams

• Ask a friend or family member to look over the listing with you. A second pair of eyes is always helpful when looking for signs of a scam.
• Use the Google images reverse search function to see if the photos have been posted before. Apartment rental scams often copy listings from other real listings, but change details or lower the price to lure in apartment hunters.
• Do your research on the building or management company. Be sure the person you’re speaking to is the landlord or their representative, and you can find out who owns the building through the municipal directory of property owners.
• Always sign a lease. As a tenant, it’s your right to have an official Quebec lease drawn up in either French or English, the language of your choice.
• Never send money before signing a lease. When paying rent, always make sure to get a rental receipt as proof of payment.

Most property owners will require you to sign a lease, but we strongly recommend that you visit a few apartments before you choose a place and sign for it. Once a lease is signed, it is very difficult to cancel as it is a legally binding agreement.

Given the extraordinary situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, try to arrange a virtual visit to the apartment; you may ask the landlord to do this via Skype or FaceTime. If you do decide to visit the dwelling in-person, make sure to respect social distancing practices and take safety precautions, such as wearing a mask, not touching your face and washing your hands before and after the visit, etc. Most importantly, if you feel sick, don’t visit an apartment in-person — a virtual visit can be just as helpful!

We do not recommend signing a lease without seeing, one way or another, the apartment in question.

You may have to give a deposit for the first month’s rent when you sign the lease. Make sure to get an official receipt for every financial transaction. If you sign a lease application, sign only one at a time, as you are legally bound to the lease if the landlord accepts your application.

Landlords can request background information about you. You can show your Offer of Admission from Concordia University. Here is what landlords can and cannot ask of you:

Can Ask:

• First and last name
• Current and previous full addresses
• Name and contact information
• Date of birth
• References
• Credit checks

Cannot ask:

• Credit card number
• Social Insurance Number
• Driver’s permit
• Passport
• Bank account information
• Student Visa and/or Study Permit
• Health Insurance
• Application fee prior to the signing of the lease

• Vermine: bed bugs, cockroaches, mice/rats, etc. If you find any in your new apartment, contact your landlord immediately.
• Keep an eye on your pipes: don't let your pipes freeze during winter! You can find out more about making sure your pipes don't freeze here.

Now that you've found a place to live, you will need to furnish it (small appliances, bedding, etc.). Here is a list of stores where you can find essentials for the kitchen, bedroom and bathroom.

• Canadian Tire
• Walmart
• Winners
• Marshalls
• Home Depot
• Rona
• The Bay