Now that moving day has come and gone, folks may be settling into their new homes and beginning to grumble about the cost of rent, which feels like it's been increasing for years. And it has! But on the month-to-month scale, that trend seems fuzzier.
With Montreal's average listing rent exceeding $1,600 this year, your chances of finding a home for less may be dwindling. But that doesn't mean there aren't cheaper apartments out there, though they might not be downtown or in Westmount. For those who are comfortable sharing a home with a stranger, the prospects are a little better, but this list is primarily composed of apartments for one.
Renting in Montreal is an extreme sport, with obstacles everywhere and a barrier to entry higher than the tallest outdoor staircase. There is little positive news to be gleaned from the real estate market these days, but if you're looking for cheaper rents than in Toronto, you're ever-so-slightly in luck but maybe not for much longer.
So you don't want to spend $2,500 on a downtown studio with thin walls and no appliances. Okay, fair enough it's time to look outside the inner-city bubble and take a chance on a beautiful place that doesn't cost 60% of your monthly income.