A Furnished Room for December–January in Montreal: How It Works
A one or two month stay across December and January is one of the hardest things to rent in Montreal, and one of the most commonly needed. A contract that ends mid-December. A semester finishing before a January start somewhere else. A lease gap. Family coming for an extended visit. A first look at the city before committing to anything. The lease system offers nothing for any of it — it offers twelve months starting in July. Here's what actually works for a winter stay of one to two months.
The straightforward answer: Coliville — furnished rooms from C$160/week, all-inclusive, any start date, minimum one month.
Why this specific window is awkward
Three things stack up in December and January:
The lease cycle ignores you. Nothing starts December 1 or January 1 in the standard market.
The city shuts down for two weeks. Roughly December 20 to January 5: landlords travel, offices close, listings go unanswered, viewings don't happen. If you're booking for January, you need it done by mid-December or you're waiting until the 6th.
Utilities are at their annual peak. A non-inclusive room adds $80 – $140/month in Hydro-Québec during exactly these weeks — and if you're only staying two months, opening and closing an account for it is absurd. Our heating guide has the numbers.
The last point is why "all-inclusive" matters far more for a winter stay than a summer one. For one or two months, a utility account you have to open, pay a credit deposit on, and close again is pure friction.
What the options cost
| Option | 1 month | 2 months |
|---|---|---|
| Furnished all-inclusive room | $693 – $888 | $1,386 – $1,776 |
| Sublet from a departing student | $550 – $800 | $1,100 – $1,600 |
| Monthly Airbnb (private room) | $1,400 – $2,200 | $2,800 – $4,400 |
| Apart-hotel / corporate stay | $2,500 – $4,000 | $5,000 – $8,000 |
| Hotel | $3,500+ | — |
Airbnb is the default people reach for and roughly double the cost. Apart-hotels make sense when an employer or a grant is paying directly. For a personal one-or-two-month stay, a furnished room is the category built for it.
Sublets are genuinely cheaper when the dates line up — the catch is that they almost never line up exactly, and they post late November and vanish before the holidays. Our sublet guide covers the consent rules.
Who this is actually for
- Contract and seasonal workers finishing or starting mid-winter
- Students between programs — a December finish and a January start elsewhere
- People with a lease gap, where the old one ended and the new one starts later
- Anyone testing Montreal before signing twelve months in a city they don't know — this is the most financially sensible use of a short stay there is
- Extended family visits where a hotel for five weeks is indefensible
- Interns and visiting staff on winter terms — see our intern housing guide and visiting researcher guide
If your stay is longer than about six months, read our short-term furnished guide instead — the arithmetic changes.
How partial months are billed
The practical mechanic, since almost no winter stay starts on the 1st.
Weekly pricing handles a mid-month start cleanly: days ÷ 7 × the weekly rate. Arriving December 14 at C$160/week means 18 days — about $411 for the rest of December, then the monthly equivalent from January.
Two things to confirm in writing before you book:
- How partial periods are calculated (daily pro-rata, or rounded to a full week?)
- Whether billing is weekly or monthly in practice
And convert the rate yourself: weekly × 52 ÷ 12, not × 4. C$160/week is $693/month, not $640. Our weekly vs monthly breakdown runs the full comparison.
What to check before booking a winter stay
Beyond the usual checks, winter adds its own list:
- Is heat included — the single highest-value question in December
- Is the room warm, not just the living room. Ask, or see it on a live video tour
- Which direction does the window face — a north-facing room in January is a different room
- Is there a desk — you will be inside a great deal between December and March
- How far to the metro, and along what kind of street — main arteries are cleared early, side streets much later (our snow and parking guide)
- Who clears the entrance and the outdoor staircase
- Is bedding provided — the most common gap in "furnished," and a bad surprise on night one in winter
- What's the notice period if you need to extend or leave early
Booking from outside Montreal
Most winter short stays are booked remotely, and that's the profile scammers target — remote, deadline, unfamiliar with local rules:
- Live video tour before any payment. Not a recording, not photos.
- Never pay a deposit. Security deposits are illegal in Quebec, for a stay of any length. Only the first period's rent may be collected in advance.
- Verify who you're dealing with — a real company with real buildings, or a person your employer or institution can vouch for.
- Terms in writing — dates, rate, inclusions, notice.
Our rental scams guide has the full checklist.
Book before mid-December
The timing instruction, plainly: if your stay starts in December, book in the next two weeks. If it starts in January, decide before December 15. The holiday shutdown is not a slow period — it's a stopped one, and it removes two of the weeks you'd otherwise be using to arrange things.
FAQ
Can I rent a furnished room in Montreal for just one month? Yes — furnished coliving rooms typically rent with a one-month minimum and any start date.
What does a one-month furnished room cost? Roughly $693 – $888 all-inclusive, versus $1,400 – $2,200 for a monthly Airbnb.
Can I move in mid-December? Yes with weekly pricing — days ÷ 7 × the weekly rate for the partial period.
Is a deposit required for a short stay? No. Deposits are illegal in Quebec regardless of stay length.
When should I book for January? Before December 15. The city effectively closes from December 20 to January 5.
Is bedding included? It varies — ask specifically. It's the most common gap in furnished rentals.
Bottom line
For one or two months across December and January, a furnished all-inclusive room is the category that fits: no utility account, no furniture, no twelve-month commitment, any start date. Confirm heat is included, confirm bedding, convert the rate with 52 ÷ 12, and book before the city closes for the holidays.
Need December or January covered? Coliville — furnished rooms from C$160/week, heat, Hydro, WiFi and cleaning in the rate, any start date, no deposit and no credit check.