Vanmates manages bilingual homestays and shared homes across Montréal — primarily in the Plateau, Mile End, and the neighborhoods around McGill and Concordia universities. Most of our Montréal hosts speak both French and English; many have welcomed international students for 5+ years. Rent is all-in: Wi-Fi, utilities, and home-cooked meals (for homestays) included.
Homestays from $1,200/mo · co-living from $1,000/mo · all-in
Browse Montréal roomsOur Montréal homes are picked specifically for transit and walk access to Montréal's student-heavy campuses.
Pulled directly from our internal inventory — these are real rooms accepting bookings today.
Each Vanmates neighborhood is picked for transit, safety, and walkable amenities — not just for sale-ability. Here's what to expect.
The Montréal neighborhood every student wants to live in
The Plateau is the cultural heart of Montréal — exterior staircases, indie cafés on Avenue du Mont-Royal, bagels from St-Viateur, and dépanneurs on every corner. A 15-minute walk gets you to McGill, 20 minutes to Concordia, and the green and orange metro lines cover the rest. Our Plateau homes are typically 4–5 bedroom triplexes with shared kitchens and balconies — the quintessential Montréal student experience.
Bookstores, studios, and breakfast spots — north of the Plateau
Mile End is the slightly quieter, slightly artier neighborhood north of the Plateau. The vibe is bookstores, recording studios, and serious bagel debates. McGill is a 25-minute walk or 12 minutes on the bus; Concordia is 15 by metro. Our Mile End houses tend to be smaller (3–4 rooms) and attract upper-year and graduate students. Lower foot traffic, cheaper than the Plateau, the same Montréal character.
Walking distance to McGill — literally next door
The neighborhood directly east of McGill, traditionally called the 'McGill Ghetto', is the closest student housing you can get to campus — 3–7 minutes' walk to most departments. Our homes here are character buildings, often Victorian-era walk-ups with hardwood floors and high ceilings. Best fit for McGill students who want zero commute and the campus library within sleepy-Sunday-morning reach.
Best value, near HEC and Concordia's Loyola campus
Côte-des-Neiges (often shortened to CDN) is Montréal's most internationally diverse neighborhood and our best-value area. HEC Montréal is in the neighborhood, Université de Montréal is a 15-minute walk, and Concordia's Loyola campus is a 20-minute bus ride. Our CDN homes are typically larger family-style houses with parking and full kitchens — best for students who want space and quiet over Plateau-style energy.
Private bedroom in a managed shared home with 4–6 internationally-diverse housemates. The most affordable way to live in Montréal with built-in social life.
Browse co-living →Private bedroom in a vetted Canadian family's home, with two meals a day and full cultural immersion. Best for younger students or first-time travelers.
Learn about homestays →For employees, families, or anyone moving to Montréal long-term. We handle housing search, lease review, utility setup, and arrival logistics end-to-end.
See relocation packages →No. All our Montréal hosts and house managers are bilingual (French + English), and the Plateau, Mile End, and McGill-area neighborhoods are heavily anglophone. That said, basic French is a huge quality-of-life upgrade — bus drivers, dépanneurs, and government services default to French. We recommend students arrive with at least conversational French if they're planning a year+ stay.
Our Milton-Parc / McGill Ghetto homes are 3–7 minutes' walk to most McGill departments. Plateau homes are 15 minutes' walk or one metro stop. Mile End homes are 20–25 minutes' walk or 10 minutes on the bus. For Concordia students, our McGill-adjacent homes are typically 15 minutes by metro (green line).
Yes — homestays are actually our most popular Montréal product. We work with vetted French-Canadian and bilingual host families, primarily in the Plateau, Côte-des-Neiges, and around Université de Montréal. Homestays start at CAD$1,200/month including private bedroom, two meals a day, and full immersion in a French-speaking household.
Loyola is in the city's west end (NDG / Notre-Dame-de-Grâce), and we don't directly operate there. Our Côte-des-Neiges homes are the closest — about 20 minutes by bus. If you specifically need to be next to Loyola, we can recommend partner operators in NDG and Westmount.
All Vanmates Montréal rooms are all-in. Co-living includes Wi-Fi, heat, electricity, and weekly common-area cleaning. Homestays additionally include two home-cooked meals per day (breakfast and dinner), weekly laundry access, and a vetted French-Canadian family. No extra fees on top — just the monthly rent.
Yes. Montréal's two main intake windows are September (highest demand) and January (much easier to find a room). We recommend booking 3–4 weeks ahead for January arrivals — winter is when Montréal's tourist demand drops, so we typically have more availability than in summer.
Browse real available rooms or talk to our team — we typically reply on WhatsApp within an hour.