Canadian Apartment Hunting Guide Tips For First Time Renters
By: A.Noton
Submitted: 2011-10-29 20:05:18 | Word Count: 668
Welcome to the Canadian Apartment Hunting Guide. Your source for dependable information about finding and renting an apartment in Canada, especially in Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver. Here you will find a veritable treasure trove of information to help you find what you need at a price you can afford.
Before you begin your search for an apartment, you will need to have some information in place. You will need to know what kind of apartment you want to rent. How many people will be sharing the place with you? Each person will require their own room, unless you are sexual partners. You will also need to know what your budget is for your housing needs. You will also need to know in which you wish to live and which area will keep you close to your work or school. Once you have a clear idea of how much you can afford to pay for rent, you can begin your apartment search.
[ advertisement ]
Start with looking through the housing advertisements in your local newspaper. You will typically find an advertisement that says something like 2 BR, heat, hydro, inc. Unfurnished and then a location and a price. You can also find apartment rental listings online as well as in places like the local grocery store or laundromat.
Call about up to six apartments at one time. Ask important questions. Find out if your electricity is included in your rent. Ask about the heating as well, as this expense can be costly especially in winter. Find out what kind of heat the apartment has. Electric heat will be more expensive than natural gas heating, however, if your electricity is paid for with your rent, then you really do not have to worry about it when it is forty below zero.
Most apartments allow use of the refrigerator and stove that the landlord has put in. Always ask, though, if these items will be included, and make certain when you sign the agreement that these items are listed as being included in the rental agreement. The same goes with washing machines and dryers. Some apartments have them built into each apartment. Some buildings have a common laundry room where you can wash and dry your clothes. Some have none at all. Ask, and make certain any existing equipment is listed on the rental agreement.
For those who are renting for the first time, you might ask if the apartment is furnished beyond the refrigerator and stove. Some apartment complexes that have bachelor apartments may include a bed or sofa bed and possibly even a dresser and lamp in each apartment. These bachelor pads do not have much for amenities. The bathrooms are often shared with people on the same floor of the building. Some may or may not allow cooking in the private rooms, and may or may not allow cooking in a common kitchen.
Many landlords will insist on obtaining a security deposit, equivalent to the value of one month's rent, before you can even move in. That means that you must, in essence, have the equivalent of two month's rent ready to pay before you move in. Generally, the deposit is used toward your last month's rent, and accrues interest throughout the term of your rental. If you should decide that the place is not what you wanted and you make a midnight move, your landlord will keep that money as they must now try to recover and to rent the apartment again.
When signing the rental agreement, especially for people who are new to renting, you will likely need someone to cosign your agreement. Generally speaking, this would be a family member who can be counted upon to pay your rent should you default on payment on your own. Once you have successfully rented an apartment several times, you will likely be able to forgo this step as you will have established your own credit history and your landlord will see that you are a good tenant to have.
Author Resource:-
When living in Toronto finding an apartment that is right for you can be difficult. Viewit can help you with your search for an apartment in Toronto or Calgary. http://www.viewit.ca/
