Moving to a New City: What You Need to Know

Moving to a new city is more than a long-distance move. Along with your furniture, you are moving your job, your routines, your healthcare and your paperwork — and learning a place you do not know yet. This guide covers what to plan when you move to any new city, with specifics for people moving to Montreal, where the housing market and the calendar work differently from almost anywhere else in North America.

Research before you choose where to live

Visit if you can, at different times of day. Look at the commute to work or school, public transit, grocery stores, parks, schools and noise. Talk to people who live there. Online maps and listings show you apartments; a walk around the block shows you the neighbourhood.

In Montreal, neighbourhoods are very different from each other: the Plateau and Mile End are dense and walkable with plexes and outdoor staircases; downtown and Griffintown are condo towers; NDG, Rosemont and Villeray mix apartments and family streets; the West Island, Laval and the South and North Shores are more suburban, with houses and driveways. Our service area pages describe what living — and moving — in each of them looks like.

Understand how housing works there

Every city has its own rental rules and customs. In Quebec, a few are worth knowing before you sign anything:

• Leases traditionally end on June 30. That makes July 1 the busiest moving day of the year, and many apartments are listed in the spring for a July start. Moving at another time of year is possible, but choice is widest in spring.
• Deposits. In Quebec, a landlord generally cannot require a security deposit; paying the first month’s rent in advance is common. Check the current rules with the Tribunal administratif du logement.
• The Tribunal administratif du logement (TAL) handles disputes between landlords and tenants, and publishes clear information about leases, rent increases and repairs.
• Many apartments do not include appliances or heating. Ask what is included — fridge, stove, heating, hot water — because it changes your monthly costs.

Budget for the move and the first months

Moving to a new city costs more than the truck. Plan for the move itself, travel, a few nights of accommodation if your furniture arrives after you, the first month’s rent, utility connections, furniture you need to replace, and a cushion for unexpected costs. For the move, get a fixed price in writing for long distance; our long-distance moving page explains how pricing works, and the pricing page has starting prices by distance.

Paperwork when you arrive in Quebec

Moving to Montreal from another province or country means updating official documents:

• Driver’s licence. New Quebec residents from other provinces must exchange their licence with the SAAQ within a set period after settling — check the current deadline on the SAAQ website. Vehicle registration must also be transferred.
• Health insurance. Register with the RAMQ (Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec). Depending on where you come from, there may be a waiting period before coverage starts, during which your previous province’s plan may still cover you; check before you move.
• Taxes. Quebec residents file a provincial tax return with Revenu Québec in addition to the federal return.
• Address changes. Update your address with the Canada Revenue Agency, your bank, your employer and Canada Post mail forwarding.

If you are moving from Montreal to another province, the same logic applies in reverse: see interprovincial moving.

Language

Montreal is a French-speaking city with a large English-speaking community. You can live and work in English in many parts of the city, but French is the official language of Quebec, and government services, signage and many workplaces operate in French. Learning some French makes daily life easier and opens more doors; the province offers free French courses for eligible newcomers.

Getting around

Montreal has a metro and bus network run by the STM, the REM light-rail network, commuter trains run by exo, bike paths and the BIXI bike-share. Many people who live in central neighbourhoods do not need a car. If you do drive, learn the parking rules: street-cleaning and snow-removal signs are strictly enforced, and winter changes how and where you can park.

Winter

If you are coming from a milder climate, prepare for winter: temperatures well below freezing for weeks, snow, and short days. Buy proper boots and a winter coat before you need them, and ask your landlord about heating costs. If you move in winter, plan for snow on moving day — clear paths, salted stairs and floor protection for both homes.

Build a new routine

The first weeks in a new city are easier with structure. Find a grocery store, pharmacy, doctor or clinic, and a route to work or school. Join something — a sports league, a class, a community group. Introduce yourself to your neighbours. A new city starts to feel like home when it has routines and people in it.

Plan the move itself

For a move to a new city, the most important decisions are the date, the budget and the choice between a dedicated truck (your belongings only, delivered on your date) and a shared trailer (lower price, delivery within a window). Start planning six to eight weeks ahead, reduce what you move, and keep documents, medication and essentials with you. We move people to Montreal from across Canada and to other cities from Montreal — see moving within Quebec, interprovincial moving or Canada–USA moving.