Every three years, Quebec municipalities publish a new property assessment roll, often called the municipal assessment, and Montreal is no exception.
This official document updates the actual value of every property based on a professional assessor’s analysis.
Errors can happen, which is why every homeowner should understand how these figures are calculated and what they actually mean.
A property assessment roll is a detailed inventory of every property in a city, across all categories (residential, commercial, agricultural, and so on). Each property is assessed on the same basis over the same period, and the process is governed by the Act respecting municipal taxation.
In Montreal, more than 180 chartered appraisers carry out a rigorous analysis to set the official value of over 500,000 properties. That value then feeds the municipal tax calculation.
The process runs over roughly one year and examines:
– Recent transactions on each street of each neighborhood
– The physical characteristics of each property (age and quality of construction, lot, location, renovations, and so on)
– Socio-economic data on the real estate market
The goal is simple: To establish the fairest, most reliable value for each property based on its actual condition at the time of study, which is 18 months before the roll takes effect.
A higher value on the roll does not automatically translate into proportional increase in property taxes. Every Quebec municipality first sets the total amount it needs to collect for its budget.
From that amount, the city sets the minimum tax rate required to raise the planned revenue, adjusting for the change in property values.
What drives the change in your taxes is not the increase in absolute value, but the increase relative to the average for your category and sector:
– Increase above the average: your taxes go up.
– Increase below the average: your taxes go down, even if your roll value rose.
– Increase in line with the average: your taxes stay the same.
You can use the tax calculator to run your own projections at any time.
Good to know: when your roll value rises, the increase is not applied all at once. It is phased in gradually over the three years of the roll.
Your property’s market value is the real price you would get today, given current market conditions.
It is calculated by your real estate broker or a chartered appraiser, and the analysis accounts for the condition of your property, market dynamics, socio-economic trends, and recent comparable sales in your area.
The roll value, or municipal value, is calculated 18 months before the current roll is published.
The gap between the two figures comes down mainly to timing. That’s why anchoring on the municipal assessment to justify a lowball offer is never a winning strategy for a buyer.
If the value on your assessment seems inaccurate, you can request a review.
In Montreal, roughly 6,000 owners apply for a review with each new roll, and in nearly 40% of cases they succeed in lowering the roll value after inspection.
To get there, you need a well-built file with tangible evidence to support your request: recent comparable sales, an independent inspection and appraisal report, and market statistics.
You can file your review application online, in person, or by mail.
If you cannot reach an agreement with the assessor handling the review, your file can be taken to the Administrative Tribunal of Québec.
All property assessment rolls in are accessible in the Quebec Land Registry.
In Montreal, you can use the EvalWeb portal to check a property assessment roll or a tax account.
All you need is the address, lot number, or property registration number (matricule).
The city also offers a comparables tool to view recent sales. While the data is neither as precise nor as current as what an experienced real estate agent can provide, it remains a solid starting point.
Whether you want to contest a recent increase on your roll or set the right asking price for your property, you need a list of recent sales in your area.
I can provide those comparables free of charge. Just fill out the form.
© 2026 Rola Hamdan Courtier immobilier Inc. All rights reserved.
Residential and commercial real estate broker acting under Profusion Immobilier Inc. Real Estate Agency.
1 Westmount Square #711, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
