Approximately 25,000 apartments are currently vacant on the island of Montréal [1].
This discovery highlights a paradox in the city's housing market, where thousands of units remain empty while residents struggle to find affordable homes during a systemic housing crisis.
The findings come from an analysis by Radio-Canada Info, which utilized electricity consumption data from Hydro-Québec [1]. The report, presented by Marie-Isabelle Rochon, indicates that these vacancies persist as the city approaches July 1, the traditional date for lease renewals and moves in Quebec [1].
To provide scale for the figure, the number of vacant units is roughly equivalent to the total housing stock of the Villeray neighbourhood [2].
Several factors contribute to this trend. High rental prices and real-estate speculation are cited as primary drivers that encourage owners to keep units off the market [1], [3]. Additionally, costly and delayed renovations have left many apartments uninhabitable or intentionally empty [1], [3].
Reports indicate that some of these vacancies are concentrated within the portfolios of specific real-estate companies [2]. These entities may leave units empty to facilitate larger renovations, or to wait for market conditions that allow for higher rent increases [3].
The analysis suggests that the lack of available housing is not solely a matter of insufficient construction, but also a result of how existing stock is managed by owners [1].
“Approximately 25,000 apartments are currently vacant on the island of Montréal.”
The gap between high vacancy numbers and a severe housing shortage suggests that market speculation and renovation strategies are artificially tightening the supply of affordable housing. By leveraging utility data to identify empty units, researchers can challenge the narrative that the crisis is purely a result of a shortage of physical buildings.
