"Isn't a lease always a year?" "Can I have a tenant sign a six-month lease?" "Is there a minimum term?" Most landlords ask these questions when drafting a lease. The answer often surprises: in Quebec, the law sets neither a minimum nor a maximum term for a residential lease.
The 12-month lease is a market norm, not a legal rule. This article explains the real term categories, what's allowed, what happens at expiry, and how to choose the term that gives you the most control as a landlord.
There's no legally imposed minimum or maximum term
The Civil Code of Quebec lets the parties freely agree on the lease term. You can enter into a 12-month, 6-month, 18-month, or indeterminate lease. There is no legally required one-year "minimum lease," and no legal cap.
Fixed-term vs. indeterminate lease
Every lease falls into one of two categories, and the choice has concrete consequences for your flexibility:
- Fixed-term lease — it has both a specific start date AND end date (e.g., July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027). It's the most common format and the one that gives a landlord the most predictability.
- Indeterminate-term lease (month-to-month) — it has no end date and continues from one month to the next. Seemingly more flexible, but it strips the landlord of some control over the timing of increases and changes in conditions.
Month-to-month is often less advantageous for a landlord than a fixed term — we explain why in our analysis of the month-to-month lease in Quebec.
Can you do a 3-, 6-, or 10-month lease?
Yes. A fixed-term lease can be shorter than 12 months — 3, 6, or 10 months are perfectly valid. That's useful for a unit available off-season, a supervised sublease, or a temporary need. But a short term doesn't mean the tenant is guaranteed to leave.
What happens at the end of the term: automatic renewal
At the expiry of a fixed-term lease, it renews automatically on the same conditions (Article 1941 of the Civil Code), unless a valid notice was sent within the required window. That window depends on the lease length: for a lease longer than 12 months, notice of non-renewal or modification is given 3 to 6 months before expiry; for a lease of 12 months or less, the window is shorter (1 to 2 months). An indeterminate lease also follows the 1-to-2-month rule.
This is the point most landlords underestimate: the term doesn't determine your ability to take back the unit — it sets the notice calendar. For the full mechanics (F notice, rent increase, tenant responses), see our Quebec lease renewal guide.
Table: lease terms in Quebec
| Lease type | What to know |
|---|---|
| Fixed 12-month term | The norm in Quebec. Renews automatically at expiry, on the same conditions. |
| Short term (3, 6, 10 months) | Allowed. Also renews automatically — a short term doesn't guarantee the tenant leaves. |
| Longer than 12 months | Allowed. Notice of non-renewal or modification is given 3 to 6 months before expiry. |
| Indeterminate (month-to-month) | Allowed, but less control over the timing of increases and conditions. |
| Legally imposed minimum term | None — the parties freely agree on the term. |
Which term should you choose as a landlord?
The ideal term depends on your goal, but a few guidelines stand out:
- 1Fixed 12-month lease — the best default: predictability, alignment with the July 1 cycle, and a clear annual window to adjust the rent via a modification notice.
- 2Short term — useful for a unit that comes available mid-year or a temporary situation, as long as you accept that the lease will then renew.
- 3Month-to-month — reserve it for special cases: you trade control over the timing of increases for flexibility.
- 4Whatever the term, the real protection is choosing the right tenant up front, not the length of the lease.
Before you set the term, make sure above all that the right tenant is in the unit. That's exactly what our tenant-placement service does — rigorous, compliant screening in Montreal, Laval and Longueuil.