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F-036: Montreal Moving Guide ​

Status: ✅ Done · Priority: P1 · Updated: Mar 12, 2026

Summary ​

A comprehensive, bilingual moving guide for Montreal renters. Not tied to July 1st — people move year-round. Covers everything from lease signing to address changes to utility setup. A one-stop resource that keeps people on the site and drives organic traffic from "how to move in Montreal" searches.

Requirements ​

  • [ ] Dedicated page at /moving-guide (or /wiki/moving-guide)
  • [ ] Structured sections covering the full moving process
  • [ ] Bilingual (FR/EN)
  • [ ] Checklist/timeline format (interactive checkboxes?)
  • [ ] Links to official Quebec/Montreal resources
  • [ ] SEO-optimized (target: "moving to Montreal", "déménagement Montréal")
  • [ ] Mobile-friendly (people check this on their phones while moving)

Content Sections ​

Before Moving ​

  • Lease basics — Quebec lease (bail), standard form, mandatory clauses, lease transfer (cession de bail)
  • Notice periods — When to give notice (3 months for July 1, general rules)
  • Finding movers — Tips, what to look for, approximate costs
  • Insurance — Tenant insurance (assurance habitation), why it's essential, providers
  • Budget planning — First/last month, moving costs, deposits (Quebec law: no security deposits!)

Address Changes — The Master Checklist ​

  • Government
    • SAAQ (driver's license, vehicle registration)
    • RAMQ (health card)
    • Revenu Québec
    • Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)
    • Elections Canada / Elections Quebec
    • Passport (next renewal)
    • Immigration documents (if applicable)
  • Financial
    • Banks and credit unions (Desjardins, etc.)
    • Credit cards
    • Investment accounts
    • Employer / payroll
  • Utilities & Services
    • Hydro-Québec (electricity)
    • Internet / TV provider (Bell, Vidéotron, etc.)
    • Phone plan
    • Home insurance
  • Subscriptions & Deliveries
    • Canada Post mail forwarding
    • Amazon, online shopping accounts
    • Magazine/newspaper subscriptions
    • Meal kit / grocery delivery
  • Health
    • Family doctor / clinic (CLSC)
    • Dentist
    • Pharmacy (prescriptions)
    • Veterinarian (if pets)
  • Education
    • Schools (registration transfer)
    • Daycare (CPE / garderie)
    • University / college
  • Other
    • Gym membership
    • Library card (Bibliothèques de Montréal)
    • Loyalty programs
    • Electoral registration (auto-updates with SAAQ)

Moving Day ​

  • Elevator booking — Most buildings require advance booking for moving
  • Parking permits — City of Montreal temporary no-parking signs for moving trucks
  • Key handoff — Walkthrough checklist, photos of old/new apartment condition
  • Utilities — Transfer dates, meter readings

After Moving ​

  • Neighborhood orientation — Nearest grocery, pharmacy, CLSC, metro
  • Waste & recycling — Collection schedule (varies by borough), where to get bins
  • Snow removal — Winter parking bans, street cleaning schedule
  • Community — Local community centers, parks, events
  • No security deposits — Landlords cannot charge security deposits in Quebec
  • Rent increases — TAL guidelines, how to contest (link to our rent increase calculator)
  • Lease renewal — Automatic renewal rules, modification notice
  • Repairs & maintenance — Landlord obligations, how to request repairs
  • TAL (Tribunal administratif du logement) — When and how to file complaints

Design Ideas ​

Format Options ​

Option A: Single long-form page with TOC

  • Sticky table of contents on desktop
  • Smooth scroll between sections
  • Print-friendly CSS

Option B: Multi-page guide (wiki-style)

  • Each major section as a separate article
  • Hub page linking to all sections
  • Leverages existing wiki/articles infrastructure

Option C: Interactive checklist

  • Checkable items saved to localStorage
  • Progress bar
  • "X of Y complete" tracking
  • Shareable/printable

Linking to Existing Tools ​

  • Rent increase section → link to /rent-increase calculator
  • Budget section → link to /rent-vs-buy and /rent-check
  • Neighborhood section → link to /neighborhoods
  • Transit section → link to /metro

SEO Value ​

Target keywords:

  • "moving to Montreal checklist"
  • "déménagement Montréal guide"
  • "change address Quebec"
  • "changement d'adresse Québec"
  • "tenant rights Quebec"
  • "droits des locataires Québec"

Structured data: HowTo schema for step-by-step sections.

Discussion Notes ​

Mar 10, 2026 — Renamed from "July 1st Moving Day Hub" to "Montreal Moving Guide" — people move year-round, not just July 1st. Expanded scope to be a comprehensive resource covering the full moving process: lease basics, address change master checklist (SAAQ, RAMQ, banks, Hydro-Québec, etc.), moving day logistics, and Quebec-specific legal info. Could use existing articles/wiki infrastructure or be a standalone page. Interactive checklist format would be a differentiator.