Rent price estimator

The benchmark is recent listings — not sold, not active for three years, but posted in the last 60 days for comparable units in the same neighbourhood. Aim for at least 5–10 comparables to neutralize outliers (one luxury unit on the street can throw off any average).

Then adjust up or down for: square footage, bedroom count, floor and elevator availability, year built, recent renovations, parking (indoor is worth considerably more than street), in-unit laundry, balcony or yard.

In Quebec, two identical units can post $200 apart simply because one includes heat and the other doesn't. Before comparing an asking rent to your unit, normalize: add or subtract ~$150/month for heat, ~$80/month for hot water, ~$60/month for internet.

For an "all-inclusive" unit (heat, hot water, electricity, internet), expect $300–$400/month more in asking rent than a comparable unit where the tenant covers everything.

When a new tenant signs a Quebec lease, the official form includes "Section G": the landlord MUST disclose the rent paid by the previous tenant over the last 12 months. Within 10 days of the lease being concluded, the new tenant can then file for a rent fixing at the Tribunal administratif du logement if the new rent deviates significantly from the old one. Note: omitting the notice does not protect you — it extends that deadline to two months from the start of the lease, and to two months from discovery of the fact if the notice is inaccurate.

In practice: trying to bump rent by $200 at turnover means risking a review that drops it back near the old price (sometimes below your market estimate). It's the main reason rents move more slowly in Quebec than in Ontario or BC.

With vacancy below 2% in Montreal, Laval and Longueuil, a market-priced unit typically finds a tenant in 1–3 weeks. Past a month on the market with no serious viewings, your asking is likely 5–10% too high — or the photos / description undersell the unit.

Outside the June–August window (the July 1 cycle), plan for 3–6 weeks, especially in winter when demand is calmer. Higher-end units can take longer but the margin gap usually justifies the wait.

Validate your estimate with the Quebec real-estate market overview for macro trends, and with your property assessment roll to bracket fixed costs.

To check the overall profitability of the building, run the rental-yield calculator.