Planning on moving this summer? Here's what you need to know

With moving season quickly approaching and COVID-19 still a concern, many homeowners and tenants have questions about the days leading up to and including July 1.

As a result, the City of Montreal has released guidelines on moving and housing on its website. Here are some of the highlights.

Home visits

If you're a tenant in a building and have already terminated your lease, your landlord has the right to show the apartment to prospective tenants without your permission, according to Quebec rental board regulations.

Within the context of the pandemic, however, provincial health authorities strongly recommend using photos and video tours instead of home visits, and there are additional rules to follow if visits do happen..

Delayed construction

The provincial government has announced a financial support program for those whose main place of residence won't be ready in time for moving day.

If the construction of your future home or rental unit was delayed because of COVID-19 restrictions, you may be eligible to receive up to $2,000 per month for a maximum of two months to cover temporary housing costs.

You might also be eligible to receive up to $1,000 to cover storage and moving expenses.

Help during the move

The provincial government recommends hiring professional movers to help with your move, in order to ensure that all safety measures are respected. Both the province and city are cautioning against asking friends and family members for help.

If it's absolutely necessary for friends or relatives to help, the government recommends using the bare minimum of people, and maintaining a two-metre distance between each other at all times, with no more than two people standing in a single room, corridor or stairwell at once.

They recommend the use of trolleys and lifting straps to make that possible when lifting heavy furniture.

The province also recommends coordinating your moving times to make sure there is no overlap between your move and that of the previous tenant or homeowner.

If you terminated your lease before the pandemic

The provincial governmentrecommends staying in your current dwelling unless it's absolutely necessary to move. The City of Montreal is also stressing the importance of finding a new apartment before ending your current lease, because of a current housing shortage.

If you terminated your lease before the pandemic started, you may still be able to sign a new one with your current landlord if they haven't already found new tenants, the city website says.

If however, your landlord refuses, then you will be forced to leave when your lease is up.