Fewer Quebecers changing addresses on July 1, say movers

People remove a mattress form a van on moving day in Montreal, Friday, July 1, 2022. (Graham Hughes, The Canadian Press)

In Quebec, July 1 is traditionally the official moving day.

However, the custom is disappearing, particularly in Montreal.

More and more people are choosing to change their address on another date, according to moving companies.

Clan Panneton co-owner Pierre-Olivier Cyr has never seen such a situation.

"In Montreal, July 1 will be fairly quiet, but all the days around that date, two weeks before and two weeks after, are 'booked'. When I look at my schedule, I don't have a curve on July 1 where I need 300 movers because it's madness. Quite the contrary. The curve is flat, but it's much higher than it was. I don't have my July 1 peak," he told The Canadian Press in an interview.

According to him, "renovations" are the main cause of this new phenomenon.

"This year, there's a particularity: we've never filled so many requests to the Régie du logement for evictions," said Cyr. "It represents 40 per cent of all moves. It was very quiet until March-April when I was down to about 200 moves. All of a sudden, things started to take off, and now I'm up to about fifty more.

"Since so many moves are paid for by landlords who don't want to pay the July 1 rate, they make arrangements with their tenants to move a week or two before or after. So there's a 'boom' right now because there are last-minute deals."

In 2023, the company, which operates in Quebec City and Montreal, had calculated a significant 30 per cent drop in demand compared to the previous year. Business is much better in 2024.

"There was a 'boom' with the reduction in interest rates. I feel like the madness is starting up again. I'm happy for this year," said Cyr. "In Montreal, the June 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24 dates have been 100 per cent sold out for a long time now, and it's not because of the rates, since these are just apartments."

Consumers also benefit, as the price of a move is set according to the principle of supply and demand.

"When the peak period arrives, we have to rent extra trucks and pay for placement agencies, so we indirectly pass on the bill to consumers," said Cyr. "That's why it's more expensive on July 1. This year, because demand is spread out, we were able to control our costs for July 1, especially in Montreal. It's a win-win situation for consumers, since it costs them less in the end."

He adds, however, that "it's a completely different story elsewhere in Quebec, because there's a labor shortage everywhere except Montreal."

An idea whose time has come?

The co-owner of Clan Panneton hopes that this trend will continue and spread throughout the province.

"I must admit that my wish is that we succeed in keeping this trend and stretching it even further," he said. "If we manage to extend the moves further and further, there won't be as much chaos on July 1. It's likely to be a lot easier this year. And I hope it will continue to stabilize over the next few years."

He considers that "it's a thing of the past" in 2024 to move systematically on July 1.

"If the housing crisis has changed people's moving habits, that's at least something good. Adaptation is a positive thing for customers."

Valérie Saint-Amour, who runs Déménagement Puissance, agrees with Cyr.

"I was born into the moving business, so I know how it works," she said. "July 1 really isn't like it used to be. Normally, the days before July 1 are already 'booked' since March, but I still have room this year. And it's quiet for July 2, when we usually have a lot of work to do."

Like her colleague, Saint-Amour has observed a longer staggering of orders.

"The rush lasts all month, but it's more spaced out than before. The good news is that we have work all year round, but it's farther apart."

An all-time low

Overall, she noted that "there's really less traffic than before" and that "people aren't moving anymore because of the housing crisis."

"Today, people don't want to move. With the housing crisis, they'll think twice before moving," said Cyr.

The Quebec statistics institute (ISQ) confirms the phenomena: the number of moves has never been so low.

In 2023, some 658,000 people changed address, representing 7.8 per cent of the province's population.

This compares with 10.3 per cent just four years ago.

"The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) calculates the tenant turnover rate in its rental survey.This has been falling for several years and is now very low, indicating that few tenants are moving at the moment. The lack of housing on the market and high rents help explain this phenomenon," says CMHC spokesperson David Harris.

At 1.3 per cent, Quebec's vacancy rate is the lowest in 20 years.

As for the average rent, it has risen by 17 per cent in two years.

In the past year, rent increases have outstripped both inflation and wage increases, reports CMHC.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on June 29, 2024.