What Is a 3½, 4½ or 5½ Apartment in Quebec?

A 3½ does not have 3 bedrooms: it has one. It is the most common mistake, and it costs people viewings. In Quebec, the number in a listing counts the rooms, not the bedrooms, and the « ½ » is always the bathroom.

Quick answer: a 4½ (or 4 1/2) is a 2 bedroom: kitchen, living room, two bedrooms and a bathroom. A 3½ has 1 bedroom, a 5½ has 3 (or 2 bedrooms and a closed dining room).

Already looking? See our 1 bedroom apartments in Ahuntsic, our 2 bedroom apartments in Boucherville and our 2 bedroom apartments in Laval, with what is free right now.

Why Quebec uses « and a half »

In the rest of Canada and the US, listings describe an apartment by its bedrooms: « 1 bedroom », « 2 bedrooms ». Quebec's rental market counts every room you live in instead, and the bathroom counts as half a room, because you don't live in it the way you live in a living room or a bedroom. The expression is so particular to Quebec that it appears in the University of British Columbia's Dictionary of Canadianisms, which defines a « three-and-a-half » as a one-bedroom apartment.

That is why you see 3½, 4½ and 5½ in listings, and never a plain 4. The system is handy once you know it, but it often confuses newcomers and people moving from another province.

How to count rooms

The rule: add up the rooms you live in, then add ½ for the bathroom.

Example: kitchen + living room + 2 bedrooms = 4 rooms. Add the bathroom: it is a 4½.

Good to know:

• It is a Quebec market convention, not an official standard. Two landlords may count slightly differently.
• A double living room (two connecting living rooms, common in Montréal plexes) counts as 2 rooms. A « 5½ » can therefore have only 2 bedrooms.
• A second bathroom usually doesn't add to the number. It is listed separately (« 4½ with 2 bathrooms »).
• When the kitchen and living room are open-concept, the counting varies. If in doubt, ask how many closed bedrooms there are.

Quebec apartment sizes, from 1½ to 6½

* Rents of our free apartments, updated automatically from our inventory. The exact rent depends on the building, the floor and what is included.

Tip: the number of rooms says nothing about size. Two 4½ apartments can be very different sizes depending on the building's age and the layout. Always ask for the square footage before you visit: it is the best way to compare two listings of the same size.

Each size in photos, at our buildings

Real apartments in our buildings, in the sizes we are renting right now. Click a photo to enlarge it, or visit the building's page: 2½ at 1020 rue de Salaberry, 3½ at 453 rue Darontal, 4½ at 1700 boul. Lévesque Est, 4½ at 234 rue Pierrefontaine and 5½ at 43-73 Place Mercier.

Some rooms are staged; the furniture is not part of the apartment.

3½, 4½ or 5½: which one fits you?

The roommate sum: a 4½ shared by two splits one rent in half, against When available for a 3½ on your own. Each of you has a closed bedroom, and it is often the cheapest way not to live in a studio.

The 3½ (1 bedroom) is the classic size for one person or a couple: a real closed bedroom, a living room and a kitchen. It costs less to rent and to heat than a 4½. Our 1 bedroom apartments in Ahuntsic, at 1020 rue de Salaberry, include heating and hot water.

The 4½ (2 bedrooms) adds a second bedroom: a home office, a child's room or a roommate's room. It is the most sought-after size in Greater Montréal. Our 2 bedroom apartments in Boucherville (453 rue Darontal) and our 2 bedroom apartments in Laval (1700 boul. Lévesque Est, Duvernay) include heating and electricity: no Hydro-Québec bill to pay.

The 5½ (3 bedrooms) gives you one more room: either a third bedroom or a closed dining room. Before you visit, ask which one it is: for a family with two children, the difference is huge.

Mistakes to avoid when reading a listing

1. A « bedroom » with no window or no door. In practice, a real bedroom has both. If the listing counts a closed room with no window, ask.
2. A living room split by a partition. Some landlords divide a living room with a light wall to advertise a 4½ where most people would see a 3½. Check that what is left of the living room is still usable.
3. The kitchen: a real room or a corner of the living room? That is what separates a 1½ from a 2½, and a 2½ from a 3½. The rent follows.
4. No square footage. Two 4½ units can be very different sizes. Ask for the square feet.
5. Bedroom sizes. A second bedroom can be too small for a double bed and a desk. Ask for each bedroom's dimensions, or bring a tape measure to the visit.
6. Appliances. In Quebec, many apartments are rented without a fridge or a stove. Ask whether they are included, and whether there are washer-dryer hookups or a laundry room.
7. « Heated » or « heated and lit »? Heated means only the heating is included. Heated and lit means the electricity is too. The difference can be worth several hundred dollars a year. Our 4½ apartments at 453 rue Darontal and 1700 boul. Lévesque Est include heating and electricity.
8. A dining room or a double living room counted as a bedroom. Especially in 5½ units: check the number of closed bedrooms.
9. A half-basement not mentioned. It is not a problem in itself, but it changes the light. Ask which floor the unit is on.

What to check at the viewing

• Count the closed bedrooms: a door and a window each.
• Open the window in each bedroom. It should open without tools.
• Measure the bedrooms if you already have your furniture, especially the second one.
• Look at the storage: closets, walk-ins, basement storage or a locker.
• Ask what the rent includes: heating, hot water, electricity. At CGK, each building page lists it.
• Ask for the square footage and which floor the apartment is on.

At CGK Realties

CGK is a family business that owns and manages its own buildings, from studios to 5½ units, in Laval, Montréal, the North Shore and the South Shore. No middleman: you deal directly with the owner.

• An on-site concierge in every building
• Cats welcome in all our apartments
• 4½ apartments with heating and electricity included in Boucherville and Laval

Our apartments by size: 1 bedroom in Ahuntsic · 2 bedrooms in Boucherville · 2 bedrooms in Laval · All our buildings

Our sizes, building by building

Looking at the South Shore? Read our guide to living in Boucherville. All our other guides are in our tenant resources.

Free right now: the lowest rent for each size

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