With a vacancy rate that's stayed under the critical 3% threshold for several years running, Montreal is in the middle of one of its most active rental construction periods in a long time. Thousands of new units are under construction or about to deliver in neighbourhoods as varied as Griffintown, Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, and Pointe-aux-Trembles. Here's an overview of the major projects — and a few quieter ones — changing the city's rental landscape.
Griffintown and Ville-Marie: the epicenter of densification
Griffintown remains, by a wide margin, the area concentrating the most new rental units in Montreal. Since 2022, a wave of towers has been announced or broken ground to respond to an overheated housing market. One analysis of the neighbourhood's development estimates that the Mondev, Wellington, and Griffin Square projects alone will add more than 1,250 new apartments to the area.
UTILE Griffintown is arguably the most significant project on the social front: 285 affordable student housing units across 18 storeys, at the intersection of Saint-Maurice and de l'Inspecteur streets. The building will be paired with the heritage Sainte-Hélène presbytery, preserved as part of the project. Total investment reaches $87.7 million, funded in part by the Société d'habitation du Québec ($15.2M) and the City of Montreal ($6.1M). First tenants — mostly students from ÉTS, Concordia, and McGill, all nearby — are expected in summer 2027.
300 Young, a smaller-scale project from Omnia Technologies, will add 67 rental units across eight storeys, with a rooftop terrace, for a $21 million investment.
Other towers under construction or in planning include Griffin Square (Mondev / Hillpark Capital), with 409 rental units, and Hexagone Apartments (Devimco), adding 577 more. Worth noting: Wellington sur le Bassin, also developed by Devimco and often mentioned alongside these projects, is actually a 380-unit condo building for sale, not rental housing. The Du Havre–Peel REM station, currently under construction in the area, should also accelerate densification by improving access to public transit.
For a full breakdown of everything happening in this area, see our dedicated deep-dive on Griffintown and downtown rental projects.
Hochelaga-Maisonneuve: the new hub in the east
HOMA has become one of the most active areas for rental development in Montreal, driven in large part by one exceptionally large project.
Canoë, led by developer Rachel Julien on the site of the former ProGym at 4500 Rue Hochelaga, is planned to eventually include more than 900 rental apartments and condos across six phases, plus neighbourhood retail. The first phase, entirely rental and affordable, has already delivered. A second phase — an eight-storey building with 89 market-rate condo units and an 80-space early childhood centre — is due to deliver in summer 2027. A third phase, which would add 225 more rental units, is in preparation, with construction potentially starting as early as May 2026 pending federal financing confirmation.
Ovila, directly across from Marché Maisonneuve, offers 88 new rental condo units built between 2023 and 2024.
On the social housing side, Mission Unitaînés Bellerive is a 100-unit project for low-income seniors, occupied since March 2026, steps from Parc de la Promenade-Bellerive and its riverfront.
Saint-Laurent: a bet on sustainable housing
Quartier Dalia, developed by Quorum on the site of the former Valeant factory at 1956 Rue Bourdon, is one of the most environmentally ambitious projects currently underway in Montreal. The development offers 249 new rental units from 1 to 4 bedrooms, spread across four buildings — one seven storeys, three at three storeys — organized around a large interior courtyard covering nearly 50% of the site. The project is targeting LEED Gold or Silver certification and includes a geothermal system beneath the underground parking. Notably, about 25% of the 249 units will be offered at affordable rents. Financing included $93 million in federal support through CMHC's Apartment Construction Loan Program. First units are expected to deliver in summer 2026.
Notre-Dame-de-Grâce: densifying without losing character
Bosco, developed by Pur Immobilia in partnership with Claridge and DACC, reflects an effort to densify a historically low-rise neighbourhood without losing its character. The project — whose name means "the woods" in Italian, a nod to the neighbourhood's mature trees — includes two buildings of 6 and 12 storeys totalling 230 to 231 rental units and 4 commercial spaces, a short walk from Vendôme metro and train station. The investment totals $110 million. First tenants are expected as early as July 2026.
Petite-Italie: a quieter insertion
Le Richmar illustrates the second category of projects transforming Montreal: smaller buildings inserted into the existing urban fabric rather than built on large vacant lots. This new 74-unit rental condo building sits within walking distance of the Castelnau and Parc metro stations, as well as Marché Jean-Talon. Occupancy is expected in October 2026.
Pointe-aux-Trembles and Anjou: the new eastern frontier
The eastern tip of the island of Montreal is experiencing a wave of rental development comparable to what Griffintown saw a few years ago — driven in part by anticipation of the future REM de l'Est line.
Le MileBrook is, as of now, the largest rental residential project in the eastern part of the island: roughly 930 units spread across nine buildings of 6 to 8 storeys, in two phases, along Sherbrooke Street East. The project offers a wide range of units, from studios to 5½s, with a strong emphasis on shared amenities — a communal kitchen, rooftop gardens, a pétanque court. It's located near Parc-nature de la Pointe-aux-Prairies and will have privileged access to the future REM de l'Est line.
Westwalk Anjou, developed by Les propriétés Scalia, will add 555 rental units across 15 storeys and three phases, with an impressive range of shared amenities (pickleball court, golf simulator, coworking spaces). The project, near Galeries d'Anjou, is expected to deliver its first units in 2027.
What this means for renters
For a tenant looking for a new-construction unit, these projects translate into real options in areas that had almost no rental construction five years ago — NDG and Anjou in particular. That said, it's worth distinguishing new buildings from existing ones: as explained in our guide to the 2026 rent increase rules and the TAL, buildings five years old or less don't give tenants the right to refuse a rent increase and stay in their unit — a nuance worth knowing before signing a lease in one of these new developments.
Where to find images and renderings
For media outlets or content creators looking to illustrate these projects, here are the official sources for up-to-date artist renderings and construction photos:
- Quartier Dalia — official site with renderings: quartierdalia.com
- Bosco (NDG) — official site with renderings: bosco-ndg.ca
- Le Richmar (Petite-Italie) — official site: lerichmar.com — and construction photos on the urban development forum Agora Montréal
- Le MileBrook (Pointe-aux-Trembles) — official site with renderings: lemilebrook.com
- Westwalk Anjou — official site: westwalk.ca
- Canoë (HOMA) — official site: canoemtl.com
- UTILE Griffintown — construction coverage with photos: Portail Constructo
- Bosco (NDG), context and construction photo — La Presse article: lapresse.ca
Note: renderings available on developer sites are indicative artist representations, as several of them state themselves — always check reuse terms before publishing an image from these sources.
Bottom line
The number of projects tracked in a single construction cycle — Griffintown, Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, Saint-Laurent, NDG, Petite-Italie, and the east end combined — gives a sense of the scale of the market's response to the housing crisis. Whether this pace of delivery is enough to bring the vacancy rate back to a healthier level in the coming years remains to be seen.
