Justin Trudeau spent almost a decade as Canada’s prime minister, yet he never lived in the house built for the job. That detail alone explains why so many people search for his address. Between a derelict official residence, a quirky cottage on royal grounds, and a fresh start in Montreal, his housing story says a lot about how Canadian leaders actually live.
This guide breaks down his current home, the residence he chose instead of 24 Sussex Drive, and the full timeline of where he’s lived from childhood to now.
Where Does Justin Trudeau Live Now?
Trudeau lives in Montreal, back in the city where he went to university and spent the early years of his marriage. After stepping down as prime minister in early 2025, he kept a low profile for close to a year before settling on a permanent home.
He chose Outremont, one of Montreal’s oldest and wealthiest boroughs, known for tree-lined streets and early-1900s stone houses near the base of Mount Royal. Trudeau isn’t new to the area. He attended Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf there before going to McGill, and he and Sophie Grégoire Trudeau lived in Outremont in the first years of their marriage, long before Ottawa and 24 Sussex Drive entered the picture.
The move back makes sense on a personal level. After a decade inside government housing and RCMP security bubbles, returning to a neighbourhood he knew before politics gave him a version of home that predates the prime minister’s office.
Justin Trudeau’s New Montreal House
Land registry documents confirm Trudeau bought a two-story stone house in Outremont for $4.26 million, a figure notably below the city’s own tax assessment of roughly $5.99 million for the property. He’s listed as the sole buyer on the deed, which matters because his divorce from Sophie Grégoire Trudeau was still being finalised at the time of the purchase.
Size and layout: The home measures close to 4,965 square feet and sits on a lot of about 13,672 square feet, one of the larger private parcels in the borough. It has seven bedrooms, giving Trudeau room for his three children to stay with him regularly.
Property age and style: Built in 1931, the house carries the kind of stone-and-slate look common to Outremont’s older streets, a style that has held its value in Montreal’s luxury market for nearly a century.
Interior and exterior details: Public listings and land records don’t include a full room-by-room breakdown, and no verified photos of the interior have been released. What’s confirmed is the square footage, lot size, and bedroom count above. Any deeper interior claims circulating online should be treated as unverified until Trudeau or a credible outlet confirms them.
Move-in timeline: As of the most recent filings, Trudeau had not yet moved into the property, suggesting renovations or personal logistics were still in progress after the purchase closed.
Privacy: Since leaving office, Trudeau no longer has the same round-the-clock government security apparatus tied to an official residence. Coverage of the purchase has focused on price, square footage, and neighbourhood rather than specific security arrangements, which is typical for a former head of government transitioning back to private life.
Rideau Cottage: Justin Trudeau’s Official Home as PM
Trudeau never lived at 24 Sussex Drive. Instead, he and his family spent his entire time in office at Rideau Cottage, a 22-room Georgian Revival house on the grounds of Rideau Hall, the Governor General’s estate in Ottawa.
Rideau Cottage wasn’t built for a prime minister. Construction finished in 1867, and the house was originally meant to shelter the Governor General’s private secretary. That’s the role it played for over a century, housing a string of secretaries and aides rather than elected officials.
When 24 Sussex Drive was declared unfit to live in back in 2015, Trudeau’s incoming government needed a fast alternative. Rideau Cottage, already owned by the Crown and sitting on secured grounds next to Rideau Hall, was the practical choice. Trudeau and his family moved in that November and stayed until he left office in March 2025, making it the longest stretch any Canadian prime minister has spent at that address.
Family life there came with real limits. The cottage lacks a proper kitchen setup for a working household of that size, so meals were prepared off-site for years. A government memo later described the location as a security concern too, since its position close to a public residential neighbourhood makes it harder to secure than a purpose-built official home. Even so, it gave the Trudeau children a relatively normal upbringing on quiet, tree-covered grounds rather than inside a fortified downtown compound.
Why Didn’t Justin Trudeau Live at 24 Sussex Drive?
The short answer: the house wasn’t safe to live in.
24 Sussex Drive was built in 1868 and became the prime minister’s official residence in 1951, housing every Canadian prime minister from Louis St. Laurent through Stephen Harper. By the time Harper moved out in 2015, decades of skipped maintenance had caught up with the building. Inspectors found asbestos, mould, faulty wiring, a leaking roof, and a rodent infestation severe enough that officials later said the air inside wasn’t safe to breathe.
A 2008 audit put repair costs at more than $10 million. By 2021, the National Capital Commission’s estimate had climbed to roughly $36.6 million just to bring the house back to a livable standard. No prime minister wanted to be the one who spent that kind of public money on a personal residence, so the house sat empty year after year, and the bill for basic upkeep alone has run close to $150,000 annually.
Trudeau made the call early and stuck with it. He told Canadians in 2018 that he didn’t see himself moving into 24 Sussex, and before leaving office in 2025, he pushed the government to settle the question for good, proposing either a full renovation, a move to a different Rockcliffe Park property, or an expansion of Rideau Cottage.
The house remains unoccupied today. In June 2026, current Prime Minister Mark Carney launched a national design competition and a $50 million fundraising campaign, backed by the Rideau Hall Foundation, to finally restore it. Carney has said he won’t live there himself, but he wants the residence ready for the prime ministers who come after him.
Justin Trudeau’s Previous Homes: A Quick Timeline
Childhood (1971–1984): Trudeau was born on Christmas Day, 1971, the first son of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and Margaret Trudeau. He spent his early years living inside 24 Sussex Drive while his father held office, giving him a firsthand look at the same house he’d later choose to avoid as prime minister himself.
Montreal and McGill years: Trudeau returned to Montreal for school, attending Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf in Outremont before earning his English degree at McGill University.
Before politics: After McGill, Trudeau taught and lived in Vancouver for several years before eventually returning east. Once he and Sophie Grégoire married, the couple settled back in Outremont, the same Montreal neighbourhood he’s now returned to.
Rising through politics: After winning the Papineau riding in 2008, Trudeau and his family rented a home in Ottawa’s Rockcliffe Park neighbourhood while he served as an MP, well before he became Liberal leader or prime minister.
Prime Minister years (2015–2025): From November 2015 until March 2025, home was Rideau Cottage on the Rideau Hall grounds in Ottawa.
After leaving office: Following a quiet stretch of transition, Trudeau bought his Outremont house in early 2026, marking his return to full-time life in Montreal.
Property Value and Ownership: What’s His and What’s the Government’s
It helps to separate what Trudeau actually owns from what he simply lived in as prime minister.
Rideau Cottage and 24 Sussex Drive are both Crown property, managed by the National Capital Commission and technically belonging to the monarchy rather than any individual. Trudeau never held ownership of either; he had the right to live there as a function of his office, similar to how a company might provide housing tied to a job title. Once he left office, that right ended, which is part of why he needed to buy a home of his own.
His Outremont house is different. It’s a private purchase, registered solely in his name, financed and owned the same way any other buyer’s home would be. The $4.26 million purchase price came in well under the city’s $5.99 million tax assessment, and public filings put the annual property tax bill at roughly $37,937, a routine cost for a house of that size and location, not an official government expense.
Security Considerations for a Former Prime Minister
Canada’s RCMP provides protective services to sitting prime ministers and, at a reduced level, to some former ones, based on ongoing risk assessments rather than a fixed public schedule. Specific protective arrangements for any individual, including Trudeau, aren’t published, and this article won’t speculate on them. What’s publicly documented is more general: government officials have noted that Rideau Cottage’s location near a public residential street made it harder to secure than a standalone estate, one reason it was flagged as inadequate for long-term use by the country’s leader.
Interesting Facts About Justin Trudeau’s House
- Rideau Cottage predates Canadian Confederation’s official residences by decades, having been completed in 1867.
- 24 Sussex Drive has sat empty since 2015, longer than any other stretch of vacancy in its history as the prime minister’s residence.
- Trudeau spent part of his own childhood at 24 Sussex Drive while his father served as prime minister, then avoided living there himself as an adult.
- His Outremont purchase, in a neighbourhood tied to his school years and early marriage, reads as a deliberate return to life before politics rather than a flashy new chapter.
Justin Trudeau’s House vs. 24 Sussex Drive
| Outremont House (Current) | 24 Sussex Drive | |
|---|---|---|
| Ownership | Privately owned by Trudeau | Owned by the Crown |
| Status | Purchased 2026, move-in pending | Vacant since 2015, under restoration |
| Size | About 4,965 sq ft | 35-room mansion |
| Built | 1931 | 1868 |
| Did Trudeau live there? | Moving in now | Never |
The two properties couldn’t be more different in purpose. One is a private family home Trudeau chose and paid for himself. The other is a national landmark he was entitled to use but avoided for his entire time in office, largely because it wasn’t safe to occupy.
Final Thoughts
Justin Trudeau’s housing story is really two stories in one: a decade spent in a government-owned cottage never meant for a prime minister, and a fresh, self-funded return to the Montreal neighbourhood where his adult life started. The contrast says something honest about how Canada houses its leaders, and about what Trudeau chose once that job was behind him.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does Justin Trudeau live now?
He lives in Montreal’s Outremont neighbourhood, in a house he purchased in early 2026.
Does Justin Trudeau own his current house?
Yes. Land registry documents list him as the sole owner of the Outremont property.
Why didn’t he live at 24 Sussex Drive?
The house had serious structural and safety problems, including mould, asbestos, and faulty wiring, that made it unfit to live in during his time as prime minister.
What is Rideau Cottage?
It’s a 22-room house on the Rideau Hall estate in Ottawa, originally built for the Governor General’s secretary. Trudeau and his family lived there from 2015 to 2025.
How much is Justin Trudeau’s house worth?
He paid $4.26 million for it, though the city’s tax assessment values it at closer to $5.99 million.
Is Rideau Cottage owned by the government?
Yes. It’s Crown property managed as part of the Rideau Hall estate, not something a prime minister personally owns.
Can people visit Rideau Cottage?
No. It sits on the secured grounds of Rideau Hall and isn’t open to public visits.
Does Justin Trudeau own any other properties?
Public records confirm the Outremont house as his current residence. No other personal property has been publicly documented at this time.
What happened to 24 Sussex Drive?
It remains vacant. In June 2026, Prime Minister Mark Carney launched a national fundraising and design competition to restore it for future prime ministers.
Where did Justin Trudeau live before becoming Prime Minister?
He rented a home in Ottawa’s Rockcliffe Park neighbourhood while serving as a member of Parliament, before moving into Rideau Cottage in 2015.
