Washing Windows That Face a Neighbour's Lot in Quebec

In Quebec, the Civil Code says an owner has to let a neighbour onto their land, after being given notice, when access is necessary to build or maintain something on the neighbour's property (article 987). If anything gets damaged along the way, the owner who granted access is entitled to compensation and to have the land put back the way it was (article 988). For window cleaning, the simplest route is usually to ask first, agree on a day, and have the work done from your own side of the line wherever the equipment allows.

This comes up a lot in Greater Montréal. Semi-detached homes in Saint-Laurent, cottages in Laval with a two-metre side setback, and Plateau triplexes with a gangway shared between buildings all have windows that are hard to reach without stepping onto someone else's property. Here is how the rules work and how to plan a cleaning around them.

What article 987 actually covers

The article sets out a duty to allow access, not a right to walk over whenever it suits you. Three conditions matter:

• Notice. The neighbour has to be told beforehand. The Code accepts verbal or written notice, but a short written message (a text or an email) leaves a record of the date and what was asked.
• Necessity. Access has to be needed to carry out the work, meaning there is no reasonable way to do it from your own lot.
• A construction, work or plantation. The article speaks of making or maintaining one. Upkeep of a house fits that wording. Whether a routine window wash, as opposed to a repair, would be treated as necessary maintenance is the kind of question that depends on the facts, and nobody wants to test it in front of a judge over a set of side windows.

So treat 987 as the backdrop that explains why most neighbours say yes, not as a tool to force the issue. The Code also expects neighbours to put up with the normal inconveniences of living side by side, as long as they stay within reasonable limits (article 976). A crew on the lot line for twenty minutes, once or twice a year, sits comfortably in that category for most people.

Damage and restoration

Article 988 is the other half. If a ladder foot sinks into a flower bed or a hose drags across fresh sod, the owner who allowed access can ask for the damage to be repaired or paid for. That is a good reason to agree, before the visit, on where equipment can and cannot go: around the perennials, not on the new interlock, nothing against their fence.

It also explains why ladders are the part neighbours worry about. A ladder needs a solid footing a metre or so out from the wall, which on a narrow side yard often lands on the other lot. A water-fed pole is used from the ground, closer to the wall, and nothing leans against either house.

Cleaning from your side of the line

Altara cleans exterior glass, frames and sills with pure deionized water on a water-fed pole, and screens are rinsed in place. The pole reaches up to three storeys from the ground, and the operator can stand a short distance from the wall and angle the brush, which is often enough to reach a side window without crossing the property line at all.

Some situations still call for a word with the neighbour:

• Very narrow gaps. Between two semi-detached homes or two plexes, the space may be under a metre wide and partly on each lot.
• Fences built tight to the wall. If the fence sits right against your siding, the only standing room may be on their side.
• Windows above a neighbour's roof, deck or pool. These are the hard-access cases. Altara does a site visit before pricing them, as it does for any home over three storeys.

Rinse water is another detail neighbours sometimes ask about. Deionized water carries no soap or detergent, so the runoff is plain water. Some will drip onto the ground on both sides of a narrow gap, the same as rain off the same wall.

How to ask a neighbour, practically

A short, specific request tends to get a quick yes:

• Say which windows and roughly how long. "The three windows on the side facing your driveway, about twenty minutes."
• Give a date, or a short window of dates, and offer to confirm the day before.
• Say how the crew works: from the ground, with a pole, no ladders against their house, plain water.
• Ask where they would rather the crew not stand or walk.
• Offer the same favour back. Many people on the same street book their windows the same week for exactly this reason.

If the neighbour says no, or never answers, the crew cleans what can be reached from your own lot and the rest waits. A visit is not the moment to argue property lines.

Shared lanes, gangways and condos

Not every narrow passage belongs to one neighbour. In older Montréal neighbourhoods, a passage between buildings may be covered by a servitude (a registered right of way), shared by both lots, or owned by the city in the case of a lane. Your deed or certificate of location will show what applies. A servitude of passage usually describes who can use the strip and for what, which may or may not include working on the walls next to it.

In a divided co-ownership, exterior walls and windows are often common portions, or restricted common portions, and the syndicate's declaration decides who books and pays for exterior washing. That topic has its own post on the condo window cleaning rules in Quebec.

Booking a home with tight sides

Pricing for a standard home is a flat exterior rate by window count, chosen on the pricing page. Count every side window, even the ones you think might be hard to reach, and mention narrow gaps or a fence against the wall in the booking notes. Interior glass, screen removal and washing, and track cleaning are optional paid add-ons, and interior work has the advantage of happening entirely inside your home, with no access question at all. Late in the season, that matters: exterior work runs about March to November, while interior glass is booked year-round. The residential window cleaning page lists the full exterior scope.

Frequently asked questions

Can a neighbour refuse access for window cleaning in Quebec?

Article 987 of the Civil Code requires an owner to allow access after notice when it is necessary for work or maintenance on the neighbour's property. Whether routine window cleaning counts as necessary depends on the situation, and a refusal would have to be settled by agreement or in court. In practice, cleaning from your own lot with a pole and asking politely for the rest avoids the question.

Who pays if the window cleaner damages the neighbour's yard?

Under article 988, the owner who allowed access is entitled to compensation for damage and to have the land restored. Agreeing ahead of time on where equipment can go, and avoiding ladders on soft ground or new landscaping, keeps that risk low.

Is written permission from the neighbour required?

The Code allows verbal or written notice. A text or email with the date and the windows involved is still a good idea, because it leaves a simple record if questions come up later.

Can windows over a neighbour's roof or pool be cleaned from the ground?

Sometimes, depending on the angle and the distance from where the operator can stand. These are treated as hard-access cases, so Altara does a site visit before quoting them.

Plan the visit

For a standard home up to three storeys, pick your tier on the pricing page and add a note about any tight sides. If side windows sit over a neighbour's roof, deck or pool, or the house is taller than three storeys, send the details and the team will arrange a site visit. Altara has cleaned windows at more than 7,800 homes across Greater Montréal, and a streak reported within 24 hours of the visit gets a free return.