Moving on July 1 in Montréal: dates, costs and your rights

Why Québec moves on July 1

July 1 isn’t a legal moving date. It follows from the leases. Most residential leases in Québec end on June 30, so a new tenant’s lease starts on July 1 (TAL, June 2026).

A fixed-term lease renews by itself for up to 12 months, unless one side gives notice in time (Civil Code, art. 1941; LégisQuébec). That’s why so many leases keep ending on the same date, year after year.

Nobody counts the moves. Québec’s statistics institute says it holds no data on moves or address changes (ISQ, French only). The City of Montréal estimates about 115,000 moves in the city between June and July each year (Ville de Montréal, French only).

Key dates for a lease that ends on June 30

Full text of every article: Civil Code of Québec on LégisQuébec.

What movers charge on July 1

Some Montréal movers publish a separate rate for July 1. Here is what they list on their own websites, next to their usual rates:

Movers don’t always say which crew size their July 1 rate is for. Ask how many movers it covers, and if travel time and tax are included.

The rest of the year, Montréal movers usually charge $115–$140 an hour for 2 movers and a truck. Several give about 10% off on weekdays in the middle of the month. The Montréal moving cost page lists every published rate.

Québec City follows the same pattern. One mover there lists $450 an hour on July 1, against $150 on other days.

Your rights when you hire a mover

Québec’s consumer protection office (OPC) sets out these rules:

• For a deal made by phone or online, the mover must send you a written contract within 15 days. Any payment in advance can only be made by credit card (OPC).
• In Québec you don’t always get 10 days to cancel a moving contract: that right applies only in some cases, such as a contract an itinerant mover had you sign at home (OPC).
• The mover can’t charge more than the price in the contract (OPC).
• The contract must list every fee. A mover can’t exclude liability for breakage or make you pay a deductible (OPC, June 2025, French only).
• Ask for proof of liability insurance. The OPC suggests at least $1 million (OPC).

The busiest week of the year is also when rushed deals go wrong. Our guide to moving scams in Canada lists the red flags.

Parking permits for the truck

Rules depend on the borough (Ville de Montréal, French only):

• You usually don’t need a permit if the truck doesn’t block parking spaces, the sidewalk or a bike lane, and there are no parking meters.
• You need one to reserve parking, to use a metered spot or to block a bike lane. In some boroughs, when you hire a professional mover, the permit must be in the company’s name.
• Only official rented no-parking panels are allowed. You put them up 12 to 14 hours before the move and report them to the Agence de mobilité durable.
• Minimum fees range from $43 to $60, depending on the borough. Some boroughs charge nothing.
• Boroughs take from 24 hours to 5 business days to issue a permit.

If something goes wrong on the day

• The old tenant hasn’t left. They must still let you in. The housing tribunal suggests they free up a room for you (TAL).
• You need advice on the day. The TAL answers by phone on July 1, from 8:30 am to noon and 1 pm to 4:30 pm. Call 514-873-BAIL in Montréal, Laval and Longueuil, or 1-800-683-BAIL elsewhere.
• You have nowhere to go. Québec’s housing agency runs about 40 free help services for people still looking for a home: 1-800-463-4315 (SHQ, French only).

After the move

1. Change your address once for 7 government bodies at adresse.gouv.qc.ca. Tell the SAAQ within 30 days (SAAQ, French only).
2. Update the City of Montréal for your tax bill and other city files (montreal.ca, French only).
3. Swap your residential parking sticker if you moved to a new zone.
4. Drop off bulky items such as mattresses and appliances at an Écocentre, or check the city’s collection schedule.