How important is it to rent an apartment in Montreal on July 1st?

Q: I am going to attend McGill in the fall, and I have heard that most apartment rentals are arranged on a year-to-year instead of month-to-month basis, and that moving day is on July 1st. How necessary is it to find a good place for a good price by getting an apartment on July 1st? Also, is it a good idea to go to Montreal and find places there by poking around, or is a place like craigslist a good source to find a place? I am hesitant because I am not sure if the internet sellers are trying to rip people off who are not from the area. Also, since July 1st is approaching, is it best to find a place before July 1st, on July 1st or after July 1st? I would greatly appreciate any helpful advice. Thank you very much for all the wonderful replies! In response to a pair of questions, no, I do not live in Ottawa, but I am actually from London, ON. I just realized how confusing my name, ottawablows, is, but it is not against the city but against their hockey team :) London is approximately a six hour drive to Montreal (in my approximation) so I don't think I can make too many trips up before I find a place. I am hoping one trip will do. I am glad to hear there are still going to be places available after July 1st, I was kind of worried that most places would be taken. I absolutely love the passion in all of your writing about Montreal, it makes me even more excited about living there! Also, thank you very much for offering to further help me regarding finding a good deal! Happy Saint-Jean Baptiste Day, everyone!

A: Yes it's true - July 1 is the unofficial moving day in Montreal, and many places become available then. It's also true that apartment leases happen on a year-to-year basis, not a month-to-month basis. That said, if you were looking for an apartment to occupy on July 1, you would have needed to be searching and to have signed a lease in May or so. However, not to fear. Although the majority of apartments become available for July 1, there are still plenty available for August or September 1, and now is the time to be searching. There is nothing wrong with using Craigslist as long as you yourself are happy with the apartment after you visit it (I don't know where you currently live, but whatever you do, don't commit to an apartment without visiting it first!). You will also find many listings in local Montreal newspapers (the Gazette - English and la Presse - French) and on the McGill University classified (www.mcgill.ca/classified). I would first pick the neighborhood you want to live in. Then, start scouring the classified ads and book a bunch of visits over a weekend. If you find an apartment you like and aren't sure if you're being ripped off or not, you can always come back here and ask!

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