Landlords · Montreal
Landlords and property managers: glass, doors and screens between leases
Montreal is a city of tenants, most of them in plexes and low walk-ups. For the people who own and manage those buildings, window work comes in batches: a fogged thermos (sealed glass unit) in one flat, torn screens in another, a third-floor balcony door that won't lock, all to settle before the next lease starts. We connect landlords and property managers with independent local contractors who take a list of small jobs across several units and plan them together.
- Several flats, one request
- Planned around July 1
- Official guidance for owners and tenants
Before July 1
July 1: windows, screens and doors to check
Moving day is a tradition, not a law, but many leases still turn over around July 1. It's a natural moment to walk each flat:
Fogged thermos units
Fog between the panes won't wipe off. Note the window and the pane; the glass can usually be replaced in the existing frame. See foggy thermos units.
Torn or missing screens
Screens take a beating at move-out. Count them by size; rescreening is usually a small job. Window screen repair explains the options.
Cracked glass
A small crack tends to spread. Replacing it between tenants beats doing it mid-lease. See broken window glass.
Balcony doors, cranks and latches
Check that each door slides, locks and seals, and that every crank (manivelle) turns. Upper-floor plex balcony doors deserve a close look.
Plex owners
Plexes of two to five units: RénoPlex and timing
If you own a duplex, triplex or small plex in the City of Montréal, the RénoPlex program may help with replacing windows, doors and patio doors. Its window component covers buildings of two to five dwellings below a property-value threshold set by the City, and approval has to come before the work starts: beginning early can cost you the subsidy.
Approval takes months, so plan backwards from the date you want the work done. RénoPlex pays for replacements, not glass-only repairs such as a new thermos; our RénoPlex and Rénoclimat guide explains what each program covers.
Grouped work
Grouped replacements and borough permits
Replacing windows or doors across a building is a project, and in Montreal the order matters:
List the openings
Number each window and door by flat and façade, with photos. The same list serves the pro, the borough and any subsidy file.
Check with your borough
Most boroughs require a permit even for same-size replacement, and some set rules on materials or appearance. Our borough permit guide points to each borough's page.
Get the quote the file needs
Permit files ask for a quote with taxes, numbered photos, the certificate of location and the product's technical sheet. The pro we connect you with can supply the quote and the sheet.
Schedule flat by flat
Plan around occupied units and the lease calendar, and give tenants plenty of notice before anyone needs to get in.
Before a sale
Before listing: fix what buyers will see
Buyers and their inspectors look hard at windows. A plex shows better without these:
Fogged or cracked glass
It suggests neglect even when the frame is fine. A new thermos is usually the modest fix.
Doors that stick or won't lock
Balcony and entry doors get tried at every visit. Rollers, locks and closers are small repairs.
Screens and hardware
Torn screens and broken cranks are cheap to put right and are among the first things a buyer notices in summer.
What affects the quote
What shapes a multi-unit quote
Batched work is quoted as a whole. The main factors:
- How many flats and openings, and what each needs
- Glass: thermos units, single panes, tempered or laminated
- Access: upper floors, exterior staircases and back galleries
- Whether flats are empty or occupied when the work happens
- Permit or subsidy paperwork the job requires
A simple list by flat, with photos, is the fastest way to a firm quote.
Student flats
Student housing and frequent turnover
Near the large universities, some flats change hands every year, and screens, cranks and balcony-door locks wear accordingly. A running list of what each unit needs, updated at every move-out, lets you order parts in one batch instead of one call per flat.
Keep dated photos of each window and door at move-in and move-out. Owner and tenant then share the same record of condition, which helps both if something is disputed later.
One request
One request for several flats
Send us the building address, the list of units and what each one needs. We pass it to an independent local contractor who takes on multi-unit work, and they come back with a schedule and a written quote. For co-ownership buildings, where the syndicate is involved, see condo syndicates and owners.
Tenants and owners
When a tenant reports a window problem
"Tenant or landlord?" comes up with almost every window problem in a rental. We don't answer it for you: it depends on the lease, the cause and the law. The Tribunal administratif du logement publishes guidance on urgent and necessary repairs that both sides can read.
What helps everyone is the same: the tenant reports the problem in writing, with photos, and the owner has it looked at. A pro's inspection says what failed and why, so both sides work from the same facts.
Questions
Questions from landlords
Explore your options
Related help for buildings
Local pros take on rental buildings in the plex neighbourhoods and beyond, including Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie, Villeray, Verdun, Le Plateau-Mont-Royal and Le Sud-Ouest.
Send the list of flats and repairs
Include the address, each unit and what it needs, and the date you're working towards. We pass it to an independent local contractor who proposes a schedule and a written quote, and we follow up so it doesn't stall.