Just what is ‘moving day’ in Montreal? Tradition? Law? Why so many homeless people around July 1st? And why on a national holiday (assuming this is a holiday in Quebec.)
Is it a city thing only? Province-wide? Kinda like my friends who were booted out of their rental house in Saratoga Springs during August so the landlord could charge $3000/week during the races (they paid $500/month til then)?
Just curious.
Apartment leases in Montreal are most likely to be written from July 1 to June 30; so most of those who are going to move do it then. I’m sure that other people write July 1-June 30 leases, but the concentration of them seems highest in Montreal.
Canada Day? Just a coincidence, I’m sure.
(IANC, BTW)
Actually, Quebec law is that the default date for leases to end is July first . . . it used to be May first, but moving in the last snowstorm of the season bites. I’m not sure why July was chosen instead of June or August, but that’s bureaucracy for you. There is a low-rent housing shortage going on, so anyone who didn’t start looking for a new place in February got kind of screwed . . . the official number of non-impoverished homeless (ie: those who couldn’t find a new place, rather than those who are long-term homeless) is 159 this year.
And to add to Daerlyn’s post, it is province wide. My WAG about the July 1 date for moving day is that it gives enough time to finish the school year (which usually ends around June 24) and enough time for settling in for newcomers before the next school year begins.
Also, we have a provincial rental board here that limits the amount of a rent hike a landlord can charge (usually according to the inflation rate). Of course, if the landlord is willing to shell cash for renovations, he can charge more. Or he can leave the apartment empty for 6 months or more and charge whatever he wants.
Thanks for the answers guys. Much appreciated, and better understood now.
You’re welcome. Oh, here is another little rental tidbits : it is illegal in Québec to ask for a damage deposit when you sign a lease.
Now THAT is interesting! Is there a higher percentage of trashed apartments in the province than elsewhere (if there are statistics available)? And what recourse does a landlord have for collecting on damage?
I don’t know about statistics (i.e., I couldn’t find any, maybe someone else with better searching abilities ?). As far as the landlord’s recourse for reclaiming damages, he has to go to the rental board to get a decision and/or go to small claims court to collect such damages (if under $ 7,000).
Oh, another thing we forgot to mention. In most apartments (barring those in apartment buildings), and in Mtl the majority of apartments are in duplexes up to sixplexes, major appliances are not included in the lease. The exception being gas stoves that usually are included in the lease.