Odin Says ...

On Renting in the Plateau

Jun 19, 2007

With the recent boom in the condo market, paying exorbitant rents to live in a central location in Montreal does not seem to make much sense anymore. However, many of us still choose to rent a place, for a variety of reasons: Not enough savings for a down-payment, preferring the availability of a janitor or superintendent provided by your landlord, difficulty with making a real estate commitment, you name it.

If location is important to you, but you are unable to afford central downtown rents, then the Plateau Mont-Royal offers a great alternative. It certainly has more charm than our core, which is gradually turning more and more commercial by the day. And if you work downtown, or need the ability to get there easily, then you have the options of a quick bus or metro ride to get you there.

The Plateau has an abundance of low-rise apartment buildings and split-level duplexes or triplexes. These tend to be more spacious and cheaper than most downtown apartment buildings. They also have larger balconies and even occasional backyards. However, they are older, so you may encounter trouble with plumbing and heating. Also, sound isolation can sometimes be an issue, so be prepared to hear your neighbors at all times of day and night.

The greatest area of the Plateau is between boulevard St-Laurent to the west, boulevard St-Joseph to the north, rue St-Denis to the east, and rue Rachel to the south. This square has many early-20th century duplexes and triplexes, perfect for students and roommates. If you look around enough, you should be able to find 3 ½ apartments for around $500 to $600. Once you're there, you are minutes away from all the action, restaurants, bars and shopping on boulevard St-Laurent, Mont-Royal avenue and rue St-Denis. Even amongst all this hustle and bustle, the smaller streets can provide you with privacy, calm and peace.

While rents are significantly cheaper than in downtown, they are steadily going up and catching up, because of the great location. This means that more affluent people are slowly moving in, and the area will eventually lose its bohemian charm. Even with that said, the area is still a great, safe and exciting place to live in.