Q: I'm a student living in downtown Montreal, currently in a 4 bedroom apartment for $525 a month including all utilities. I go to McGill and just moved to St Denis and Ontario. Now, according to a couple of Montrealers that I've talked to, this rate is apparently expensive. Could anyone give me the average montly rents for apartments and what a Montrealer would consider a good deal? Might be good to keep in mind for future years. Thanks! SteveN: I'm sharing rent with 3 other roommates and we each pay $525. This building does have mostly students, so maybe that's why it's a lower rate? Otherwise, thanks!
A: Are you there alone or sharing rent with roomates? For $525, to get a 4-bedroom apartment downtown or the Plateau region, that is excellent in my opinion. I would have expected much higher than that, but you may be getting it at a lower rate if it is considered a student residence, shared apartment, or because of the volume of traffic from students and the football games nearby. I know someone who was paying $700 for a 2 1/2 at St. Marc and De Maisonneuve (essentially downtown), and another friend was renting a 4 1/2 in Verdun for $550 about three years ago. I would have thought St. Denis and Ontario would be more expensive. My only suggestion would be to get to know your neighbours and see what they are paying to get an idea of the going rate in your area.