Is my municipal assessment what my house is worth in Montreal?

Is the municipal assessment the same as market value?

In definition, close; in practice, no. The Act respecting municipal taxation says the roll must show each property’s actual value, which it defines as its exchange value on a free and open market: the price most likely to be paid by a buyer and a seller who are reasonably informed and not forced to act (Act respecting municipal taxation, s. 43). The City of Montreal uses the same words: the value on the roll is “the most probable selling price” in a direct sale. That is very close to what most people mean by market value.

The difference is in how and when it is measured. The roll value is set for a past date (1 July 2024 for the current roll). It is a value set for every property on the roll at once, for property taxes, and it stays the same for three years (Act respecting municipal taxation, s. 14). Market value is the price for your house, in its condition, on the day you sell. The two can be close for one house and far apart for the next.

What date does Montreal’s 2026-2027-2028 assessment reflect?

1 July 2024. Under section 46 of the Act respecting municipal taxation, the roll takes into account the condition of the property and the market on 1 July of the second year before the roll starts. The City of Montreal tabled its 2026-2027-2028 rolls on 10 September 2025. They came into force on 1 January 2026 and are used for the 2026, 2027 and 2028 tax years. The previous rolls used 1 July 2021.

The City’s assessment service prepares the rolls for all 16 municipalities on the island, so the same date applies in Pointe-Claire, Kirkland, Dorval, Beaconsfield and Dollard-des-Ormeaux as in the boroughs of Montreal. When the rolls were tabled, the City reported an average increase of 12.2% across the agglomeration compared with the previous rolls, and 9.6% for residential buildings of five dwellings or fewer. Those are averages: the City noted that Beaconsfield and Dollard-des-Ormeaux were below the average, while Dorval and Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue were above 15%.

Why can my sale price be higher or lower than my assessment?

First, time. By late 2026, the roll is more than two years behind the market, and by the end of 2028 it will be four and a half years behind. The market does not move the same way everywhere. QPAREB reported, from Centris data, that the median price of a single-family home across the Montreal census metropolitan area was $635,000 in September 2026, about the same as a year earlier ($632,000). On the Island of Montreal alone, the single-family median was $779,000, down 4% from $815,000, with 310 sales, 20% fewer than in September 2025. A median mixes very different houses. It shows direction, not the value of yours.

Second, the method. The City says the main factors are location, lot size, building size, age adjusted for major work or additions, construction quality and, where relevant, income. It values the land from sales of comparable vacant lots and treats the building as the rest. The Act only requires the assessor to check each property’s data at least once every nine years (Act respecting municipal taxation, s. 36.1), so a roof at the end of its life, a basement that took water, or ordinary wear may not be reflected. A buyer who walks through the house sees all of it.

The City’s own numbers show how far a roll can drift. For the welcome tax, Montreal multiplies roll values by a comparative factor that “brings the real estate transaction price to a basis that is comparable to the market value.” That factor was 1.00 in 2023, the first year of the previous roll, then 1.10 in 2024 and 1.08 in 2025, and back to 1.00 in 2026 with the new roll. In other words, by its own measure the City treated the old roll, on the whole, as running about 8 to 10% behind market in its later years. That is an average for the whole roll, not a rule for any single house.

Does my assessment matter when I sell?

It does not set your price, but it can change the buyer’s welcome tax. The City of Montreal calculates property transfer duties on the highest of three amounts: the price paid, the price written in the deed, and the roll value multiplied by the comparative factor (1.00 in 2026). If your house is assessed above the price you agree on, the buyer pays the tax on the assessment.

Here is an example using the City’s 2026 brackets. On a $700,000 base, the City’s own example gives $9,349. If a house assessed at $700,000 sells for $650,000, the buyer still pays $9,349 rather than the $8,349 the price alone would give. On an ordinary sale this is the buyer’s bill, not yours: our article (Who pays the Montreal welcome tax?) lists the full scale, and our article on costs (The real costs of selling a house in Quebec) covers what the seller does pay, including the tax adjustment at the notary.

How do I check my assessment and recent sales near me?

The City’s Evalweb service shows the roll for any property in the agglomeration. You search by address, lot number or registration number, and the extract shows the owners, the lot area and the values of the property, the building and the lot. Your assessment notice shows the same value.

For houses with five dwellings or fewer, the City also offers a “View sales” tool. You need the identification code printed on your assessment notice (or on the tax bill in some of the other cities on the island). It shows sales that took place in 2024, the reference year of the current roll, which makes it useful for checking your assessment but dated for pricing a sale in 2026. The City says these sales “may or may not be comparable” to your property and do not replace the work of a chartered appraiser. Sale prices can also be found through the Quebec land register.

Can I still contest my 2026 Montreal assessment?

For most owners, the main window has closed. For a new roll, the Act says the request for review must be filed before 1 May following the roll’s coming into force (Act respecting municipal taxation, s. 130). The City says the deadline is the later of that date and 60 days after the assessment notice was sent. For the 2026-2027-2028 roll, that meant 30 April 2026 for most owners. Separate 60-day windows open if you receive a notice that the roll was altered or a notice of an ex officio correction. If something happened to the property that should have changed the roll and the assessor did not change it, the deadline is the end of the fiscal year after the one in which it happened.

A request must state its reasons. The City lists defects in the building, nuisances such as noise, pollution or flooding, and economic factors, including sales of comparable properties. The amount of your taxes, or comparing your assessment with your neighbours’ assessments, is not a valid reason. The non-refundable fee depends on the roll value: $90 up to $500,000, $360 up to $2,000,000, $605 up to $5,000,000 and $1,215 above that. The assessor answers in writing, and if you do not reach an agreement, you can go to the Administrative Tribunal of Québec within 60 days of the answer. The roll stays in force during a review (Act respecting municipal taxation, s. 76).

Two points to remember. A higher assessment does not automatically mean an equivalent increase in your tax bill, because the City adjusts its tax rates every year with the budget. And under the Act, the next roll (2029-2030-2031) will reflect the market on 1 July 2027.

How do I find out what my house is worth today?

Start from recent sales of houses like yours: same type, similar lot, similar condition, close by, and as recent as possible. Then adjust honestly for the condition of your house and the work it needs. Our article on West Island values (How much is my house worth in the West Island?) explains what an online estimate, a median and recent sales each tell you, and our market article (Selling in the West Island: what the market looks like this fall) gives the current context.

If you need a formal opinion of value, for example for a succession, a separation or a tax filing, that is the work of a chartered appraiser, a member of the Ordre des évaluateurs agréés du Québec. The municipal assessment is not a substitute for it, and neither is an offer.

Does Bruce use the municipal assessment to make an offer?

No. Bruce Malcolm is a private buyer of houses in Montreal and the West Island. He is not a broker, an agent or an appraiser, and he does not give appraisals. When you send an address, he looks at the house, at recent sales of comparable houses and at the work the house needs, and then makes an offer to buy it himself. The assessment is one line in that file, not the answer.

On a sale to Bruce, he is the buyer, so the welcome tax, including any effect of a high assessment, is his bill. There are no showings, and you choose the closing date once the notary can sign. You can ask for an offer on your address (request an offer) and compare it with your assessment and with recent sales before you decide anything.