Looking for a Unit for Rent in Villeray? A Renter's Guide to the Neighbourhood
Why renters are looking at Villeray
Villeray sits just north of La Petite-Patrie, and for a long time it was the part of town people discovered by accident, usually because a friend had a good lease there. That has changed. Today a rental in Villeray is one of the most searched options for people who want a real neighbourhood, with families on the balconies, kids heading to Parc Jarry and a market a short walk away, without the prices of the central neighbourhoods.
Daily life here is built around small businesses. The streets near Marché Jean-Talon and along rue De Castelnau are full of independent cafés, bakeries, fruit stands and small restaurants, and most blocks have a dépanneur or a grocer within a few minutes on foot. For a lot of tenants, that is the real draw: you can get a coffee, do your groceries and run your errands without ever starting a car.
Getting around without a car
Transit is the second reason people choose the area. D'Iberville station, on the blue line, serves the east side of Villeray, and Jean-Talon station, two stops away, connects to the orange line, which takes you downtown and to Berri-UQAM without leaving the metro. BIXI stations are spread across the neighbourhood, and the REV bike path on Bélanger makes cycling a realistic option most of the year.
When you compare units for rent, check the actual walking time to the metro rather than the distance on a map. Four or five minutes on foot is a very different winter commute than fifteen.
A new rental in Villeray: Orion, 2485 rue Bélanger
Most of the housing stock in Villeray is made up of older plexes, which have a lot of charm but also older windows, older insulation and, often, no elevator or parking. That is why new construction in the area tends to lease quickly. Orion is one of these buildings: 30 high-end rental units on rue Bélanger, on the edge of Villeray and Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie, four minutes on foot from D'Iberville metro. Our team at gate is handling the leasing.
The 3½ units, meaning one bedroom, measure roughly 630 to 748 sq ft, with rent starting at $1,595 a month. They are designed for one or two people, and each one includes a dedicated office corner, which matters if you work from home a few days a week. The building also has 4½ and 5½ units with private balconies for families, and a furnished option is available on every unit.
What is included in the units
Every unit comes with high-end appliances, quartz counters in the kitchen and bathroom, wall-mounted air conditioning with a heat pump, an air exchanger, triple-glazed windows and patio door, a private balcony and an intercom. Each tenant also has storage in the garage, and hot water is included in the rent. The walls between units are doubled and insulated, which is one of the first things people notice when they compare a new building to an older triplex.
Building amenities
Orion has an elevator, a gym, a rooftop terrace, a landscaped interior courtyard, a secure parcel locker, bike parking and a 24/7 camera system. Indoor parking is available, and electric vehicle charging can be set up on request. Parc Frédéric-Back is about five minutes away, and Marché Jean-Talon and Cinéma Beaubien are about ten.
Tips before you sign a lease in Villeray
Most Montreal leases still turn over on July 1, but new buildings lease all year, so the fall and winter are often a good time to find a unit for rent with less competition. Bring photo ID, proof of income and the contact information of a previous landlord to your visit; it can make the difference when two people want the same apartment. In Quebec, a landlord cannot ask for a security deposit, only the first month's rent in advance. And in a building that is less than five years old, read section F of the lease carefully, because it covers how the rent can be adjusted during that period.
Book a visit
If you are looking for a unit for rent in Villeray, or anywhere in the Montreal area, fill in the form at the bottom of this page. Tell us the type of unit, your budget and when you would like to move, and our leasing team will come back to you with what is available and a time to visit. Floor plans and 3D tours of Orion are also on the building's website, condosorion.com.
Looking for a unit for rent in Montreal?
Tell us what you are looking for and a member of our leasing team will get back to you within one business day with available units, prices and visit times. Property owners can use the same form to ask about our leasing services.
