Apartment Rental Sizes in Quebec

Finding a place to rent in Quebec that you like can be a little confusing if you are not familiar with the uniquely regional way apartments in Quebec are described.

The following terms used in rental housing in Quebec should help take out some of the mystery out of your apartment search.

What exactly is a 1½ or a 3½ apartment?

Quebec apartments have the peculiarity of being described by the total number of rooms (which may include the kitchen) to indicate its size rather than the number of bedrooms. The “1/2” usually refers to the bathroom, which is considered a “half room”. Each apartment has its own bathroom.

Apartment sizes come in the following:

1½:

Also called a bachelor, studio apartment, a 2-room apartment or an efficiency.

Basically, a 1 ½ apartment contains one large room with a kitchenette and a private bathroom. The bathroom is often small and located near the larger room. A 1 ½ can be comfortable enough for one person.

2½:

A small, one-bedroom apartment. 2 ½ apartments have a separate bedroom with a living room, kitchenette and bathroom. Some 2 ½ apartments are L-shaped.

This type of living unit can also have a small open alcove attached to the living room (a double room), with a separate kitchen and bathroom. The alcove may be separated by an archway that can be sectioned off. This configuration, however, is not very common.

2 ½ apartments are also called alcove studios.

3½:

Similar to a regular one-bedroom apartment. It is usually large enough to contain a separate bedroom, living room and a full kitchen. Also called a junior bedroom or convertible studio, this type of unit can vary quite a bit in size from building to building.

4½:

A two-bedroom apartment. 4 ½ apartments also have a living room, bathroom and a kitchen which may or may not be separate. The size of the living room, kitchen and bedrooms can vary widely from building to building.

5½:

Same as a 4 ½ apartment, but with an additional bedroom. A 5 ½ apartment can also be a two-bedroom with a living room, dining room and kitchen. This type of apartment is also called a convertible 3-bedroom.

6½ and up:

Three or four bedrooms and up. Also called a classic 6, this type of large unit usually consist of two full bedrooms, one smaller bedroom, a dining room, living room and a separate kitchen.

For these types of apartments, be sure to ask the property owner for the number of separate bedrooms.

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