A Brief Look on Finding Accommodation in Canada
The first thing that new immigrants coming through Express Entry system want to tick off on their to-do list in to find accommodation in Canada. Depending on individual circumstances, a new immigrant will look for temporary accommodation first, before a search for house or apartment for rent in Canada is started. Starting from your first night in Canada, to your first lease and beyond, you will some useful advise in this article.
Temporary Accommodation in Canada
Before you board your flight for Canada, it is better to have something lined up for the first few nights. There are a number of hotels and hostels available in urban areas, however, you should still book well in advance to make sure you have some options available at hand when you arrive in Canada.
A word of caution, bad bugs do exist in Canada, so make sure to search things online before you make your bookings. You can make use of the Express Entry system from the federal government of Canada to immigrate to this country.
Finding Houses or Apartments for Rent in Canada
Rental accommodation available in Canada are in the form of condominiums, houses and apartments. Some houses are divided into a number of units while others are available in their entirety. A ‘duplex’ houses is divided into two units, whereas a ‘triplex’ is divided into three.
Rental rooms are also available in Canada with shared living and bathroom facilities. Apartments for rents are available in the form of a single room which works both as a bedroom and living area, and the ones that have separate living areas and multiple bedrooms.
Utilities such as water and electricity, may be charged separately or may be included in the rent. Websites such as Craiglist and Kijiji, classifieds sections in local newspapers and libraries are good source to find houses and apartments.
Well, social media websites such as Facebook, can also be a very useful resource. A walk around the neighbourhood where you want to live, will make you come across signs outside the properties posted by their landlords for available vacancies.
As a new immigrant through Express Entry system you will have to show to the landlord that you will be able to pay the rent, before a lease is offered to you. You may be asked the following documents:
- A letter from the most recent or current employer indicating the annual income
- Bank statement(s) depicting you have enough savings to pay for the rend for a few months
- References from previous landlords
It is a difficult period for new immigrants, as many landlords would want to have Canadian documentation. Need not to loose heart, as there are landlords out there who can rent out their apartment or house to new immigrants through Express Entry system as well.
In case you do not get success first, just keep trying.
Important Things to Remember:
The rent cycle starts from 1st of every month in Canada, however, the ones starting from 15th of every month are also becoming available. Book your flight keeping this in mind as it will enable to have a range of options.
It will be better to arrive nearly two weeks before month’s end, as this will give you enough time to search the neighborhood and find suitable houses or apartments for rent in Canada.
Most landlord will ask for at least half a month’s rent as a security deposit. A point to be noted here is that most rental accommodation do not come furnished, so make sure to ask before viewing. Again, Craiglist is a good source to find free or cheap stuff, that will save considerable time and money for new immigrants through Express Entry system.
You can find really good deals on furniture near the end of the month as it is during this time people are transitioning and sell their things at marked down prices.
New immigrants should make themselves familiar with the tenancy law of the province they are living in. It is important to know your rights as a tenant.
A word of caution, online scams do exist and people have been robbed as they paid deposit for properties that didn’t existed. As and when you look for rental accommodation say away from bogus ads.
