What to expect

What’s the lingo?

“for rent” in French = “à louer”

You’ll sometimes see “3 1/2” or “4 1/2” written in apartment descriptions. This refers to the number of rooms. E.g. a 3 1/2 is typically 1 bedroom, 1 living room, 1 kitchen, and the 1/2 refers to the bathroom.

When people talk about “hydro”, they mean water and electricity bills. Watch out for whether the rent amount advertised includes hydro or not, otherwise you’ll be paying extra for bills on top.

What should I pay?

Depending on various factors, such as location and number of occupants, rent prices can range from 500CAD to 1,600CAD a month per person. This mostly depends on location and whether you’re living in a more expensive new-build apartment or content with an older place with more character. On average, students can find pretty nice housing for 700-800$ a month. You can find some real nice places for cheap in Montreal, so take advantage of that if you have time to hunt around for a few months.

Tip before you commit

If you are hesitant to make a long-term commitment to a place you have not visited, there are also many options for subleasing on the shorter term. This might give you the time you need to physically explore Montréal and decide where you would like to stay

Nearest neighbourhoods to Mila:

These are the closest if being near Mila matters to you, but generally the metro is great and commuting from outside these areas is still easy.