Moving in Quebec: the complete checklist (lease, address change, welcome tax)

Most residential leases renew automatically. If you want to leave, you must notify your landlord in writing within the legal deadlines: • Lease of 12 months or more: 3 to 6 months before the end of the lease. For a lease from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, the notice must be sent between January 1 and March 31, 2027. • Lease of less than 12 months: 1 to 2 months before the end of the lease. • Room lease: 10 to 20 days before the end of the lease. • If your landlord sent you a notice of rent increase or lease change, you can reply that you are leaving at the end of the lease, no later than 1 month after receiving it. If you do not reply within that time, you are deemed to have accepted the renewal on the new terms. • Lease with no fixed term: 1 to 2 months before the date you want to leave (10 to 20 days for a room), according to the Tribunal administratif du logement form. The Tribunal administratif du logement (TAL) provides notice templates. Keep proof that your landlord received yours. These rules apply differently to student residences, low-rental housing and subleases.

Tips from the Office de la protection du consommateur (OPC): • Compare offers from 2 or 3 well-established companies, and be wary of those that only give a phone number. • Check that the mover has insurance for your belongings and civil liability insurance of at least $1 million. • If it uses a heavy vehicle, it must be listed in the Commission des transports du Québec register. • For the cost estimate, describe the premises, the distance, the floors, stairs and elevators. For a long-distance move, ask for a written estimate after a home visit. • Ask for a written contract that states the rate, date and time, number of movers, truck size, how the total is calculated and any extra charges. A contract made by phone or online must be sent to you in writing within 15 days. • Avoid paying a deposit, or pay a very small amount. If you are asked to pay more than 2 months in advance, check that the company has a trust account and make your cheque out to "[company name] in trust", as the OPC recommends. • There is no 10-day period to change your mind, so do not sign anything until you have decided. Moving yourself with a rented truck or trailer? The SAAQ publishes the rules that apply.

According to Hydro-Québec, it is never too early to report your move: you can do it as soon as you know your new address and moving date. The change is free in your Customer Space. By phone, a $25 fee (plus taxes) applies and appears on your first bill. You can also ask for an email reminder about a week before you move. Also think of your other providers: internet, phone, home insurance and your financial institution.

The Service québécois de changement d'adresse (SQCA) sends your new address, in one step, to seven Quebec departments and agencies: the CNESST, Élections Québec, the Ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale, the RAMQ, Retraite Québec, Revenu Québec and the SAAQ. • SAAQ: you must report your new address within 30 days of moving. You will be sent a sticker for your driver's licence. • Student financial assistance (Aide financière aux études): notify it separately within 30 days, or your payments may be suspended. • Some other programs are not covered by the SQCA (for example, the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan or the Curateur public): the Quebec government publishes the list. • The SQCA does not cover the federal government: give your new address to the Canada Revenue Agency and other federal programs, and to Canada Post if you want your mail forwarded.

The welcome tax (officially, real estate transfer duties) is paid by the buyer to the municipality, usually a few weeks after signing at the notary's. It is not usually financed by the mortgage, so plan to pay it in cash. Starting with the 2026 tax year, a refundable Quebec tax credit for home ownership, announced on April 17, 2026, can refund part of the transfer duties paid on a first home, up to $5,875. The credit is reduced when the property's value exceeds $750,000 and is nil at $1 million; other conditions apply (Revenu Québec). To calculate the amount based on price and municipality, use our welcome tax calculator; for Montreal, see our Montreal welcome tax worked examples, which also cover the credit.

If you moved to take a job, run a business or study full time at the post-secondary level, and your new home is at least 40 km closer to your new place of work or study (by the shortest public route), you may be able to deduct your moving expenses: • federally, on line 21900 of your return, with form T1-M; • in Quebec, on line 228, with form TP-348. The deduction is generally limited to the employment or self-employment income earned at the new work location; it cannot be applied against other income such as investment income or employment insurance. For a full-time student, it is limited federally to taxable scholarships, bursaries, prizes and research grants, and in Quebec to the net amount of research grants. Unused expenses can be carried forward to a later year. According to the CRA, eligible expenses include moving and storing your furniture, travel costs, up to 15 days of temporary living expenses, the cost of cancelling your lease and, if you sold your old home because of the move, some costs of buying the new one, such as transfer taxes. Mail forwarding is not eligible. Keep all your receipts.

• January to March (lease ending June 30): written notice to your landlord, with proof of receipt. • Spring: 2 or 3 quotes from movers, a written contract, little or no deposit. • As soon as the date is known: Hydro-Québec in your Customer Space, then internet, insurance and bank. • Within 30 days after moving: SQCA (including the SAAQ), student financial assistance if applicable, the federal government and Canada Post. • If you are buying: cash budget for the welcome tax and check the first-time buyer credit. • At tax time: moving expenses if you moved at least 40 km closer to work or school.