Quebec Repossession Notice Period: The Six-Month Deadline Explained

Why the Notice Window Is Absolute

Quebec repossession deadlines are not guidelines. They are hard statutory cutoffs. If your notice arrives even one day late, the lease automatically renews for another full term, and your repossession cannot proceed until the next renewal cycle. For a standard 12-month lease, one missed day costs a full year.

Notice Periods by Lease Duration

The Civil Code of Québec sets these windows:

Lease longer than 6 months: at least 6 months before the lease expiry date. For a July 1 to June 30 lease, the notice must reach the tenant by December 31 at the latest.

Lease of 6 months or less: 1 month before the lease expiry date.

Indefinite-term lease: 6 months before the intended repossession date.

Room rental (standard): 10 to 20 days before term end if the lease is fixed, or 1 month.

Calculating the Exact Date

Time computation under the CCQ follows strict rules: the day of service is excluded (first day excluded), and if the deadline falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or statutory holiday, it extends to the next business day.

Example — Standard July 1 Lease:

• Lease runs July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027
• 6 months before June 30, 2027 = December 31, 2026
• December 31 is a weekday in 2026 — no extension
• The tenant must receive the notice by December 31, 2026

Example — Non-Standard October 1 Lease:

• Lease runs October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026
• 6 months before September 30, 2026 = March 31, 2026
• The tenant must receive the notice by March 31, 2026

Example — 8-Month Lease:

• Lease runs January 1 to August 31, 2027
• At least 6 months before August 31, 2027 = February 28, 2027
• Notice must reach the tenant by February 28, 2027

Service Date vs. Receipt Date

The date that matters is when the tenant receives the notice, not when you send it. If you use registered mail, transit time counts against you. A notice mailed on December 28 that arrives on January 3 is late for a June 30 lease.

This is why many landlords use a judicial bailiff (huissier de justice). The bailiff's official report records the exact date and time of service, giving you an irrefutable record. Registered mail works, but only if the tenant signs the delivery slip — if they refuse or are not home and the letter is returned unclaimed, you have to re-serve via bailiff, eating into your timeline.

Build backward from the deadline. If you are serving by registered mail, add at least two weeks for postal transit and a potential re-serve. If using a bailiff, book the appointment at least three weeks before the deadline — bailiffs are busiest in the November-December period before the July 1 lease cycle.

The Response Period That Follows

After the tenant receives your notice, they have one month to respond. Under Bill 31, silence counts as refusal. You then have one month from the refusal or silence expiry to file with the TAL. Every date in this chain flows from the initial service date, which is why getting the timing right at the start determines whether the entire process succeeds.

Missing the Deadline

There is no cure. You cannot petition the TAL for an extension. You cannot argue "close enough." A late notice is a nullity. The lease renews, and you start over with next year's cycle.

For a structured deadline calculator that maps every date — service, response window, TAL filing — from your specific lease terms, the Quebec tenancy notice guide includes a statutory deadline worksheet built around the current rules.

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