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Finding a place to live in Montréal

Here are some tips to help you find a place to live and study in the best possible conditions.

When do you start looking?

You can start looking for accommodation at the end of Spring, if you are able to reach Montréal by then. Otherwise, you may still find many offers over the course of Summer:

  • Owners of apartments close to the campus often wait for the academic term to start before posting their offers.
  • There many sublet and apartment-sharing offers for students in the weeks just before the academic term starts.

Wait till you reach Montréal before paying or signing a lease

You haven't seen an apartment in person that interested you? Don't rent it. Don't sign a lease. Don't make any payments. This will help protect you from fraud. Actually, there are a lot of scammers out there, and you need to be careful (examples of scams: the photos are misleading; the apartment doesn't exist, etc).

  • Reach Montréal at least two weeks before classes begin.
  • Book temporary accommodation before you start looking for a place to live.

Renting temporary accommodation

If you don’t have a contact for accommodation, book temporary accommodation for your first few nights in Montreal as soon as possible. Make a reservation for at least one week. You can extend it if necessary.

The options include hotels, youth hostels, couchsurfing, etc.

A few suggestions of temporary accommodation close to the campus

All over Montréal:

Looking for a permanent apartment

Bear the following in mind

  • Proximity to public transit
  • Furniture available to you
  • Services included in your rent: heating, hot water, electricity, Internet, etc.

In what neighbourhood should you be looking?

Rental fees vary from one neighborhood to the next. These are the neighbourhoods most popular with our student body:

  • Close to campus : Outremont, Snowdon, Côte-des-Neiges (Université-de-Montréal, Côte-des-Neiges, Édouard-Montpetit Metro stations).
  • Other easy-to-reach neighbourhoods: Plateau-Mont-Royal, Mile-End, Villeray, Rosemont-Petite-Patrie (Laurier, Rosemont, Mont-Royal, Jean-Talon, De-Castelnau, Jarry, Fabre Metro stations).
  • To reduce your rental costs, you need to head eastwards in Montréal
  • More expensive neighbourhoods: Westmount, Downtown, Old-Montréal

Where can you find offers of accommodation?

On HEC en ligne.

You must log in to HEC en ligne with your ID number.

  • Click the Services and Tools option.
  • Then, under the Apartments tab, click Search, which brings you to the View Housing Rental Ads page.

HEC Montréal will not be responsible for the quality of housing on offer.

Other platforms for accommodation ads

Student Residences


The HEC Montréal-Darlington student residence

The HEC Montréal-Darlington Residence offers 40 full-time students, and students from outside of Canada, the opportunity to rent a room in a university residence. Find out more.


Université de Montréal residences

These university residences are located within a 10-minute walk of HEC Montréal and offer good value for money. If you’re a full-time student, you may be able to get a single or double studio (or a single adapted for people with disabilities). Find out more (in French only).


Private residences

Once you've found accommodation

Take out insurance

This is highly recommended, no matter what the duration of your rental contract. Insurance generally covers two kinds of risk:

  • Civil liability: covers any damage you cause to the building in which you live and any harm you may cause to residents and visitors.
  • Property: provides for the replacement of property stolen, lost or damaged due to a disaster.

For more information, consult the website of the Insurance Bureau of Canada.

TD Assurance offers preferential rates.


Furnishing your living space

Here are some inexpensive ways to furnish your living space.


New products

Used products

Legal questions and advice

Get a basic understanding of your rights and obligations as well as those of your landlord or lessor.

Information provided by the Tribunal administratif du logement


For more information

Student Services offer a workshop on how to search for accommodation at the beginning of the Fall and Winter terms. Watch for the Back-to-School Calendar of Events

Other questions about accommodation? Write us at logement@hec.ca


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