Laval, Tuesday, February 3, 2026 - On Tuesday evening, the proposal by the Parti Laval, the official opposition at City Hall, to offer more flexibility to new homeowners by allowing payment of the welcome tax in equal, interest-free instalments, took an important step forward. Tabled by Marc-Aurèle-Fortin district city councillor Louise Lortie, the motion requesting that this measure be studied by the general management was unanimously adopted by the city council. "We've been saying it for a long time: when a family or couple buys a home, they already have to deal with the down payment, notary fees, moving expenses and sometimes other unforeseen expenses. Requiring a one-time payment of several thousand dollars, when other cities offer more flexibility, adds unnecessary pressure to an already stressful time for many households. I look forward to seeing the analyses so we can move forward," says Ms. Lortie.
A necessary measure long supported by the opposition
Since the relaxation of the legal framework in 2023, several municipalities are offering more flexible terms for the payment of transfer duties in order to reduce the financial shock associated with the purchase of a property. Ms. Lortie cited the examples of Saint-Jérôme, which now allows payment in two instalments, as well as Québec City, Sainte-Thérèse, Brossard and Salaberry-de-Valleyfield. In Laval, however, payment is still required in a single instalment, and this in a context where the welcome tax rate was recently increased by Mayor Stéphane Boyer's party, reaching 3 % for transactions over 500,000 $. For Parti Laval, this rigidity is increasingly difficult to justify and made it necessary to introduce a new measure to better support buyers.
"In Laval, home ownership is becoming increasingly difficult for the middle class. Offering more flexibility in the payment of the welcome tax is a concrete gesture that we've been advocating for a long time. This measure, which is part of our program, is reasonable, effective and already applied elsewhere. It's about time we agreed to study it seriously," added Parti Laval leader Claude Larochelle.
"It's a simple measure that can make a real difference for those moving to Laval. The important thing now is to complete the analysis and deliver concrete solutions to new homeowners," concludes Louise Lortie.
SOURCE: Office of the Official Opposition of Ville de Laval
INFORMATION : Tommy Vallée | Communications Manager
438 875 8663 │t.vallee@laval.ca