Living in LaSalle: Safety, Housing and Rents

Safety in LaSalle

Over the most recent full year of data, police recorded 629 located criminal acts in the borough, compared with 730 over the preceding equivalent period. That is a change of -13.8%, so the trend is falling.

The crime rate measured against the number of dwellings is 15.0, while the figure for all boroughs combined is 23.6. That places LaSalle below the city average, and ranks it 2 among Montréal boroughs when they are ordered from the lowest rate upward. The most frequent category reported here is vehicle thefts, which accounts for 25.4% of located acts.

Break-ins specifically numbered 149, a rate of 3.6 against the number of dwellings, compared with 5.8 across all boroughs. Break-ins are therefore below the city average, though the year-over-year direction for this category is rising. Note that 15.2% of criminal acts published city-wide come without a location and so cannot be assigned to any borough.

The housing stock

The assessment roll counts 41,909 dwellings in LaSalle. Condominium units represent 16.1% of them, which means the majority of the stock is made up of other tenure and building types.

The median construction year is 1969, and 16.1% of dwellings date from before the postwar building boom ended, as shown in the facts table. Buyers looking at older buildings may want to budget for the usual checks on roofing, plumbing, wiring and windows, while more recent construction dominates the rest of the stock.

Rents: regional context only

The rent figures on this page come from the CMHC rental market survey for the Montréal census metropolitan area as a whole. They are regional averages and are not specific to LaSalle; actual asking rents in the borough can differ in either direction.

For the survey year 2025, the regional average for a bachelor unit was $1,005, for a smaller one-unit apartment $1,131, for a mid-sized apartment $1,346, and for the largest family-sized units $1,625. Use them as a benchmark when comparing listings, not as a local price guide.

Practical notes for newcomers

Break-ins in LaSalle are below the city average, at 3.6 against the number of dwellings versus 5.8 city-wide, but the direction of travel is rising. Basic habits still pay off: solid door hardware, lighting, and securing rear and basement entries. Since the most frequent recorded category is vehicle thefts at 25.4% of located acts, off-street or secured parking and an anti-theft device are worth factoring into your search.

When budgeting, treat the regional rent averages above as a reference point and confirm actual costs with landlords or listings. If you are buying, obtaining a mortgage pre-approval before visiting gives you a firm ceiling, and a home inspection matters more in older stock, which represents 16.1% of dwellings here.

For insurance, insurers weigh both the building's age and local claim history; with a crime rate of 15.0 against 23.6 for all boroughs, it is worth requesting quotes for a specific address rather than relying on a borough-wide impression.