QUÉBEC INTERNATIONAL — Economic Development
QUÉBEC CITY A HUMAN SCALE CITY
QUALITY OF LIFE — AVAILABLE FOR RENT FINDING A HOME BEFORE YOU ARRIVE
Hi! I am Marie-Pier Côté from Logisco.
LOGISCO is a business with over 50 years of experience
in the construction and leasing of residential and commercial buildings.
We are not an agency. In fact, there are no home rental agencies in Quebec;
landlords must lease out their own apartments.
FINDING ACCOMMODATIONS IN QUEBEC
As I mentioned, every apartment is leased out directly by the owner.
To find an apartment, you can search Web directories
or visit the websites of individual apartment owners.
In Quebec, apartment rentals are determined by a residential lease,
which is a state-regulated document protecting both the landlord and the tenant.
It is not possible to cancel a residential lease before it ends.
The term of the lease is generally 12 months, and is renewable automatically without any action required.
With LOGISCO, you can sign a short-term lease (3 or 6 months) remotely, without having to show up in person.
Apartment sizes are indicated by the number of rooms.
For example, a 3½ apartment has three rooms:
a living room, a kitchen/dining room and a bedroom. The ½ refers to the bathroom.
A 4½ apartment is made up of a living room, a kitchen/dining room, two bedrooms and a bathroom.
Surface area is calculated in square feet.
For example, a 150 m2 apartment would be listed as 1614 ft2.
Note that the average surface area for a two-bedroom apartment (or 4½ apartment) in Quebec is 900 ft2 or 84 m2
When looking at apartment listings, pay attention to what is included,
as apartments generally come without any furniture or appliances.
You should also check whether utilities such as electricity, heating and hot water are included.
Don’t worry, every apartment in Quebec is equipped with a functioning heating system, but we need to pay for the power to make it work.
The same goes for water: it is free, but we need to pay the electricity to heat it.
A single company provides electricity for the whole territory: Hydro-Québec.
There are no taxes on rent. The amount listed by the owner includes municipal tax,
and every other fee related to building maintenance.
It is important to know that a deposit is not required; it is actually illegal in Quebec.
Your first payment will be on the first day of the lease.
Note that you cannot cancel your lease by giving your landlord a notice: the lease must be respected in its entirety.
The area or neighbourhood is a very important factor to consider in your apartment hunt.
Every neighbourhood in the Québec City region is very safe.
The more urban the area, the more expensive the rent.
This is due to easier access to services and public transit.
What is very interesting is that in just a few minutes’ drive, the landscape can change completely.
You could start from the very urban Sainte-Foy neighbourhood and within 15 minutes arrive in the Haute-Saint-Charles neighbourhood,
which has a much more family-friendly and natural appeal.
Every neighbourhood has elementary and secondary schools.
If the school is a bit far from home, a free school bus service is offered.
Finally, make sure to determine your specific needs such as apartment size, cost, area, etc.
So, when you know your estimated date of arrival in Quebec, contact us via our website
and we will be happy to help you find the perfect place for you.
Welcome to Québec City, and see you soon in your future home!
THANK YOU QUALITY OF LIFE — AVAILABLE FOR RENT
An initiative of: QUÉBEC INTERNATIONAL — Economic Development Government of Canada — Quebec — Québec City