When to sign a lease for September near McGill

Why apartments appear in winter

Most Québec leases end on June 30. A tenant who is leaving at the end of a 12-month lease must tell the landlord three to six months ahead: for a June 30 end, between January 1 and March 31. That is why so many apartments for July, and some for September, are listed in winter and spring.

What McGill suggests

McGill's off-campus housing office suggests giving yourself no more than about two months before your lease starts, and seeing at least five apartments before you sign. For a September lease, that means looking from early July.

Furnished apartments near campus often work on their own calendar: ours start on May 1, July 1 or September 1, and most of our apartments for September are listed from January.

A September calendar

• January to April: many apartments for July and September are announced
• Spring: visit, or take the 3D tour if you are abroad, and apply online
• When you sign: the first month's rent is the only payment a landlord can ask for in advance
• Early July: McGill's suggested start for a September search
• September 1: move in

Rules that protect you

• No security deposit: a landlord can ask for the first month's rent in advance, and nothing more
• A lease renews by itself unless the tenant gives notice in time
• If your plans change, you can transfer your lease or sublet: give the landlord written notice with the new person's name; the landlord has 15 days to answer

Spotting a scam

• An ad with no address, or a landlord who is abroad and cannot show the apartment
• A request for money by e-transfer before you sign a lease
• A rent far below the market, and pressure to decide fast
• Report a scam to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and to the police

Coming from abroad

If you are renting from another country, our guide for renting near McGill from abroad covers documents, guarantors and how to see an apartment you cannot visit.