Purchasing a residence on public land

Under certain conditions, buying a cottage, a rough shelter, or even a residence built on public leased land is possible.

Obviously, when the transaction takes place, the purchaser must also request the transfer of a right to occupy land.

When you purchase an immovable (a cottage, residence or rough shelter) located on public land, you are responsible, with the seller, for the building transaction.

You must also request the transfer of a right to occupy land and pay all costs associated with the transaction. The organization managing the lease, whether the Gouvernement du Québec or a delegated RCM, does not intervene in the sale process.

Before completing the transaction, make sure the seller has complied with all the conditions of the lease, including:

• the location;
• the size;
• the permitted use;
• the payment of the rent.

In the event that the seller has not complied with the terms of his lease (e.g. non-payment of lease, non-compliance with the end of use, failure to respect the boundaries of the lot, failure to comply with the limit of a single dwelling, etc.), it will not be able to be transferred. The seller will have to make the corrections requested by the Gouvernement du Québec before the transfer.

You may contact the lease management organization for additional information. If the lease is managed by the gouvernement, you can contact us using the contact details below. If the lease is managed by a delegate RCM, you must contact the RCM concerned directly. See the list of delegate RCMs for contact information.

In both cases, you should have the following information to hand when you make the call:

• the client number (e.g. 12345678-AA) or
• the file or transaction number (e.g. 123456-00-000) or
• the precise coordinates of the leased lot