Renting Property in Canada
Renting an apartment, house or part of a house is how most people start out. The typical apartment is a self-contained unit in a multi-floor building, but many houses have been converted into rental units so a tenant may rent the first or second floor of a house, each floor being its own self-contained unit. These are usually called `flats'. You can also rent an entire house or a room in a house (called shared accommodation). It's hard to say when is the best time to look for accommodation, because it depends on the city. In university towns, a large number of students will be looking for leases that start in the autumn, so it's best to avoid that time. In major cities, spring, summer and autumn are all good times to look. Good bargains can be found in the winter, but it's not fun to move in that season and there's less to choose from. If you are looking for a 1 May lease, then you will probably be searching in March and April; as listings don't usually look more than a month or two in advance. Be aware that while in some cities, vacancy rates have risen a bit (as people choose to buy instead of rent), in other cities the market is still tipped in the landlord/ owner's favour with rates barely above one per cent
Choosing the Type of Dwelling
One of the cheapest options is to rent a room in a shared house. Many students and single people do this when they are starting out. Bachelor apartments consist of one main room with a kitchen, sleeping area and a separate bathroom. They are designed mainly for one person, two at the most. After that there are one, two and three bedroom apartments and luxury apartments.
Counting the Cost
Rental costs vary widely from city to city. Prices tend to be much much higher in urban areas, especially in cities like Vancouver and Toronto. It is very difficult to give general estimated because prices within a city vary as well, with downtown prices being far costlier than outlying neighbourhoods. In Toronto, for example, you could be looking at $700 per month for a bachelor apartment and $1000 for a one bedroom, but those prices could be less or more depending on the neighbourhood. In a smaller city or town prices are usually a few hundred dollars less. For instance in Saskatoon you could get a one bedroom for around $400. Some provinces and cities have rent control, which limits the amount a landlord can charge for the apartment. Each province also has rules on how much a landlord can increase the rent each year for an existing or new tenant. Disputes between tenants and landlords can be taken to a rental tribunal.
It is important to note that rent paid may or may not include such utilities as heat, electricity, gas and water. Before you agree to a rent, find out what it includes. Cable for television and the cost of a telephone line are usually not included and you will be billed directly by the respective utility companies for those amenities.
The landlord pays the property taxes and takes care of insurance for the building, but the tenant is responsible for insuring individual personal items.
