Saint-Léonard: Safety, Housing and Cost of Living

Safety and reported crime

Over the most recent full year of data, 708 criminal acts were located in Saint-Léonard, compared with 840 during the preceding equivalent period, a change of -15.7%. That places the borough's trend as falling.

Relative to the number of dwellings, the rate comes to 20.3 for Saint-Léonard against 23.6 for all boroughs combined, which is described as below the city average. Ranked from the lowest rate upward, the borough places 8 among Montréal's boroughs. The most frequent category is thefts from vehicles, making up 31.5% of located acts.

Break-ins specifically totalled 104, or 3.0 relative to the number of dwellings, compared with 5.8 city-wide — below the city average, with a year-over-year trend described as stable. Note that 15.2% of criminal acts across the city are published without a location, so borough totals are a close reading rather than an exact census.

The housing stock

The assessment roll counts 34,836 dwellings in Saint-Léonard. Condominium units represent 8.8% of them, meaning most of the stock is made up of other tenure and building types.

The median construction year is 1972, and only 1.6% of dwellings predate the post-war building era. Buyers should therefore expect a stock dominated by mid-century and later construction rather than older housing, which tends to shape what inspections, retrofits and energy upgrades typically come up.

Rents: regional context

The rent figures below come from the CMHC survey for the Montréal census metropolitan area as a whole for 2025. They describe the wider region, not Saint-Léonard specifically, and actual asking rents in the borough may sit above or below them.

Across the metropolitan area, average rent is $1,005 for a bachelor unit, $1,131 for the smallest one-bedroom category, $1,346 for mid-sized apartments and $1,625 for the largest family units. Use them as a benchmark when comparing listings, and confirm current prices directly with landlords or agents.

Practical notes for newcomers

Break-ins in Saint-Léonard are below the city average, at 3.0 relative to the number of dwellings versus 5.8 city-wide. Standard precautions still apply: solid door hardware, lighting and knowing your building's entry routine. Because thefts from vehicles is the most common category here at 31.5% of located acts, leaving nothing visible in a parked vehicle is the single most relevant habit.

When you request home or tenant insurance quotes, brokers will ask for the construction year and building type; with a median construction year of 1972 and 1.6% of dwellings from the oldest era, most properties here fall outside the older-building categories that sometimes complicate coverage.

If you are buying, get a mortgage pre-approval before visiting, and compare asking rents or prices against the regional averages above rather than assuming they match. Verify the condominium status of any unit you consider, since condominiums are 8.8% of the stock and carry their own fees and rules.