Moving is considered one of life's top three most stressful events. According to the Canadian Mortgage Housing Corporation (CMHC), over 50% of the rental housing market in the Greater Montreal area consists of people living alone. The origins of Moving Day can be traced back to the province's French colonial heritage - in 17th and 18th century Quebec, there was a fixed date of May 1st for all legal agreements and it was not until the 1970s that Quebec abolished this law for housing leases and moved all house leases to the 1st of July. Since 1973, Moving Day is no longer a law, but a cultural tradition here in Quebec. According to the landlord group Corporation des Propriétaires Immobiliers du Québec. (CORPIQ), approximately 80% of leases in the province end on June 30th.

At Immeubles Centraux, we have been helping tenants during the July moving rush since 1995. We know what it takes to make your moving process smooth for all parties involved. Here are our three best recommendations to make Montreal's moving season easier.

Recommendation #1

Try and move outside the dates of June 30th and July 1st. One of the reasons why this is such an important suggestion for tenants is because of the deplorable prices of movers and truck rentals in July - these days, companies charge three to four times the regular price. The other issue is that many truck rentals are just not available either. Therefore, going outside of these dates (June 30th and July 1st) means that there is more room to manoeuver, making it much easier for the landlord to navigate the schedules of moving out and moving in dates. Property managers ensure things are not done at the last minute and are proactive when it comes to planning things ahead of time. At Immeubles Centraux, we uphold our reputation - delivering apartments in a great state while understanding the lives of our tenants.

Recommendation #2

Make sure you open your account with Hydro-Québec, and if you have a gas stove, make sure your account is opened with Énergir. It is essential to follow the rules of your old and new buildings when moving - for example, there may be specified time limits or curfews for people moving in or out of certain buildings. It is vital to be aware of these rules and guidelines in order to prevent mistakes in the middle of a move and making a poor first impression!

Recommendation #3

We suggest getting liability insurance when you move into your new apartment to ensure having a trouble-free move. Renters insurance in Quebec is still not mandatory, but at Immeubles Centraux, we strongly encourage it. In our annex - the rules and regulations which are a part of our leases - getting liability insurance is highly recommended. Of course, all landlord buildings are insured, but tenants need to understand that they are responsible if they cause a fire or flood and their neighbours can sue for damages in those cases.

For The Tenant's Benefit

Even with all the Moving Day inconveniences and the July rush, many things happen behind the scenes. Most tenants are unaware of what it takes to have them move into their great apartment on time. At Immeubles Centraux, we make great efforts and meet the challenges to ensure our tenants' move in July is as straightforward as possible. One of the biggest dilemmas is that outgoing tenants need to leave on the last day of the month and incoming tenants need to move in on the first day of the next month. With this scenario, we need to deliver an apartment that is clean and perfect - it needs to be plastered and painted, and sometimes the floors need to be varnished or repaired. In addition, appliances like the fridge and stove, along with the bathrooms, need to be cleaned and disinfected. Immeubles Centraux is proud and privileged to have a team of workers and employees lined up to complete the necessary things during this moving rush period. When they are hired, they all know that taking the week off between June 24th and July 1st is not possible. All our employees, workers, and janitors are on board to work non-stop when it is really a holiday season in Quebec and Canada - some of our employees and workers during this time even work at night! All of these schedules are accommodated for the benefit of the tenants.

In conclusion, we know full well through our experience that the July 1st Moving Day in Montreal can be challenging and hectic. Here, at Immeubles Centraux, we are experts at helping our tenants move in and out during Montreal's moving season. We are here for our tenants and landlords - always ready for their next move.

Looking for an experienced and expert property manager? Give us a call at 514-344-8818, we are here to help.