Bidding wars infiltrate Montreal’s rental market amid housing shortage

Thalita Costa de Moraes says she and her husband spend hours online every day, hoping to find a home for their growing family.

She says the process goes far beyond just making an offer.

“Write a letter, explain why you want to live here, tell the landlord about your family,” she explains.

All the same, the family says they’ve been turned down three times – despite at one point offering $550 a month extra.

The winning bid? $800 over asking.

“We didn’t know how much more we should offer because of course we wanted to get the house, but we’re not going to offer twice as much money,” she said.