Pest control in Montreal: costs, city services and local pests

This guide explains the Montreal rules that shape pest control in the city, how to use the city’s own list of permit holders, what landlords and tenants must do, and what private treatment typically costs. We are a comparison and referral service, not a pest control company.

Montreal’s pesticide by-law (Règlement 21-041)

Montreal’s by-law on the sale and use of pesticides (Règlement sur la vente et l’utilisation des pesticides, 21-041) has applied since 1 January 2022. The city’s pesticide page says the sale of domestic-class pesticides and the residential and commercial use of pesticides outside buildings are regulated, and lists the molecules now banned in Montreal. That list includes the rodenticides brodifacoum, bromadiolone, bromethalin, chlorophacinone, difethialone and phosphine, as well as insecticides such as imidacloprid, carbaryl and malathion, and herbicides such as glyphosate.

For commercial users, the city’s permit page says pesticide use outdoors (apart from banned products) is allowed only for specific cases. These include rats, voles, mice, wasp nests and carpenter ants, pests harmful to domestic bees and hens, toxic plants such as poison ivy and giant hogweed, and pests threatening trees such as the emerald ash borer. Biopesticides and products on the by-law’s schedule 2 can be used at any time.

What this means for you: an exterminator treating mice, rats, wasps or carpenter ants around the outside of a Montreal home must hold the city permit, may not use the banned products, and has to record each use in a register that goes to the city every year.

Check the city’s list of permit holders

The annual permit is compulsory for every commercial user, including exterminators, landscapers and lawn-care firms. The application costs the company $215, and it must include the provincial permit and applicator certificates issued by Quebec’s environment ministry. Once approved, the company is added to the city’s list of commercial pesticide applicators in good standing. Montreal publishes that list as open data: the 2026 list held about 100 permit holders when we checked it in September 2026. The city’s advice is simple: when you hire an exterminator or lawn-care firm, make sure it holds the permit. The listings on our Canada page and the cards below show 2026 permit numbers where we could match them.

Bed bugs: the rules for tenants, landlords and exterminators

The city’s bed bug page sets out a clear split:

• Tenants should not try to deal with bed bugs themselves. Tell the landlord straight away; the landlord must bring in an exterminator. Before the visit, tidy the rooms and bag clothes and bedding in sealed bags. If the landlord does not act, contact 311.
• Landlords, once told, must call in a qualified exterminator immediately and let them visit the whole building to find the extent of the infestation.
• Exterminators must declare every bed bug intervention they carry out in Montreal within 5 days, under the by-law on the sanitation, maintenance and safety of dwellings (Règlement sur la salubrité, l’entretien et la sécurité des logements), and must hold a permit from the Quebec environment ministry before working in a building.

Montreal’s pesticide by-law covers use outside buildings, so exterminators can still treat bed bugs indoors. Our guide to bed bugs in Canada covers what Health Canada says about treatment options.

What the city does and does not do

Situation	Who handles it	Charge
Rats, cockroaches, bed bugs or other insects in a rented home, and the landlord will not act	Borough housing inspection (via 311 or the borough permit counter)	No fee listed by the city
Landlord needs a tenant to prepare a unit before extermination	Borough inspection team (via 311)	No fee listed by the city
Outdoor pesticide use by a company	Company must hold the city’s annual permit	$215 permit application (paid by the company)
Treating pests in a home you own	You, or a permit-holding exterminator	Private cost
Disputes between landlord and tenant	Tribunal administratif du logement (TAL)	Set by the TAL

From outside Montreal, 311 is reached on 514 872-0311. The city lists 311 hours as 8:30 am to 8:30 pm on weekdays and 9 am to 5 pm at weekends and on public holidays.

What pest control costs in Montreal

We could not find a published Montreal-specific average, so use the national ranges below as a guide and compare two or three quotes.

Pest	Reported typical range (CAD)	What it usually covers
Mice	$250 to $650	Standard package, 2-3 visits
Rats	$300 to $750	Standard rat job
Bed bugs (chemical)	$400 to $1,000	Usually at least two visits
Bed bugs (heat)	$1,200 to $4,000+	Often one session
Cockroaches	$150 to $400	Single treatment
Wasp or hornet nest	$150 to $350	Per visit
Ants and general insects	$150 to $350	Per visit
Squirrels, raccoons (wildlife removal)	$200 to $600	Per job

Source: HomeStars 2026 cost guides (homestars.com), updated August 2026. Checked September 2026. Reported typical ranges, not quotes.

Full details and sources are on our Canada pest control costs page.

Tell us what you are dealing with and we will look for a pest control business covering your area. You can use the form below or our quote request page.

Renting in Montreal: who is responsible

The city’s housing inspection page says your landlord is responsible for maintaining the building and giving you a dwelling in good condition, and it lists insects and rodents among the problems to report. The steps it recommends:

1. Notify your landlord quickly and ask for the problem to be fixed within 10 working days. You can do this by text, email, by hand (with a signature or witness), by registered mail or by bailiff.
2. Keep written proof. The city warns that a registered letter is mandatory if you open a case at the Tribunal administratif du logement (TAL); without proof of the exchange your case could be rejected.
3. If the landlord does not act, report it to the city by calling 311, at your borough’s permit counter, or by email with the inspection request form. Inspectors decide whether to intervene.
4. For help writing the letter, the city points tenants to 211.

Landlords can also contact the city when a tenant will not cooperate, including when a unit needs to be prepared before insects or rodents are exterminated. See also our general guide to pests in a rented home.

How to choose an exterminator in Montreal

In Quebec, pest control is regulated by the Ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs (MELCCFP). Businesses that apply pesticides need a permit, and the people doing the work need a certificate in the right category; “application for pest management” is one of the listed categories. Certificates are valid for five years and require passing a prescribed exam. In Montreal, the company also needs the city’s annual permit for outdoor work. The Association québécoise de la gestion parasitaire (AQGP) is the provincial trade association; membership is not a licence.

• Is the company on Montreal’s current permit-holder list, and what is its permit number?
• Can the technician show a valid MELCCFP certificate?
• For bed bugs, will the whole building be inspected, and how many visits are included?
• For rodents outside, which products will be used, given the city’s banned list?

More questions are in our guide to choosing a pest controller, and carpenter ants versus termites helps if you have found wood damage.

Pest control businesses in Montreal

These businesses appear in public business listings for Montreal, and we matched each one to the Ville de Montréal’s 2026 open-data list of commercial pesticide permit holders. We have not checked their work or insurance, and they have not paid to appear.

Frequently asked questions

Does Montreal ban pesticides?

Montreal bans a list of pesticide molecules, including several rodenticides and glyphosate, and restricts commercial outdoor use to specific cases such as rats, mice, wasp nests and carpenter ants. The by-law covers use outside buildings; indoor treatments such as bed bug work are not covered by it.

How do I know if an exterminator is allowed to work in Montreal?

Ask for its city permit number and check it against the Ville de Montréal’s list of commercial pesticide applicators with an annual permit, which the city publishes as open data.

Who pays for bed bug extermination in a Montreal apartment?

The city says the landlord must bring in an exterminator once told, and tenants should not try to deal with it themselves. If the landlord does not act, contact 311.

Do I need a registered letter to complain about pests?

The city recommends notifying your landlord in writing and says a registered letter is mandatory if you take the case to the Tribunal administratif du logement.

What does pest control cost in Montreal?

We found no published Montreal average. National reported ranges are about $150 to $400 for a single insect or cockroach treatment, $250 to $650 for a mouse package and $400 to $1,000 for chemical bed bug treatment.

Sources

• Utilisation des pesticides, Ville de Montréal (montreal.ca)
• Obtenir un permis commercial pour l’utilisation de pesticides, Ville de Montréal (montreal.ca)
• Applicateurs commerciaux de pesticides titulaires d’un permis annuel (2026), Ville de Montréal open data (donnees.montreal.ca)
• Comment se débarrasser des punaises de lit, Ville de Montréal (montreal.ca)
• Déclarer une intervention d’extermination de punaises de lit, Ville de Montréal (montreal.ca)
• Demander une inspection dans un logement, Ville de Montréal (montreal.ca)
• Certificates for the sale and use of pesticides, Gouvernement du Québec (quebec.ca)
• Exterminator Cost in Canada: A 2026 Guide, HomeStars (homestars.com)

Last checked: September 2026.