Getting the legalities sorted out is very important when you want to work in Canada. But even after that’s done, you still need to get yourself settled in the country and accommodation plays a pivotal role in that. Which brings in the question, how can you find the right accommodation without having to pay a lot of money? Here are some tips to help you.
Canada Short Visit Accommodation Ideas
Usually when you arrive in Canada as an immigrant, you tend to have a limited amount of time to stay in the country. If you just need short term accommodation, then you won’t have to worry that much. You can go with booking an inexpensive hotel room, especially if you’re there for a little while. Ideally you do want to go through Airbnb or local rental places so you can get the best possible deal.
A lot of people will offer long term rent, but you shouldn’t go with that unless you know you will be staying there for a very long time. You really have to know what you are getting into with this kind of stuff, and if you tackle it the right way it will be an amazing experience.
Long Term Accommodation in Canada
Long term accommodation is a bit harder to find, and that’s because there are always scammers to deal with. However, when you want to stay in Canada for a longer period of time, the best thing you can do is to rent an apartment. It would be wise to find someone that you can share the apartment and rent with. That will make it cheaper, however as you can imagine you can also find people that might go away at any given time. So it’s important to have someone that you trust.
You need to go and visit sites like Craigslist, RentFaster or RentHello. These are great when you want to find accommodation in Canada and they do tend to remove scam postings pretty well. That being said, you will still find some here and there. It’s a very good idea to find accommodation near the place where you want to work at. This way you eliminate commuting costs and you can be home a lot faster when tired. Of course, that might not always be possible, but ideally you want to be close to the workplace.
Document Requirements for Canada Accommodation
Most of the time landlords will require information about you. They want to be certain that you will pay the rent. That’s especially true if you are from another country. So it’s pretty common for landlords to require a letter of reference from a previous landlord, bank statements or pay slips. They want to be 100% sure that you are going to pay the rent. That’s normal behavior from a landlord, because they want to be certain that you will pay them rent as often as possible.
In case you are unable to share these, then the landlord might not be ok with you getting the apartment. Of course, not all landlords are the same and some will accept less proof of income. Still, if you have proof of income it’s okay to show it.
Tips for Renting Accommodation in Canada
1. Go for the furnished rentals
Why is this important? Because many rentals in Canada are not furnished. So even if you get a good rental deal, that might not seem amazing when you see that the apartment is not furnished. Obviously for immigrants it can be hard to invest in furniture in a new country. Which is why the best approach is to go for the furnished rentals only. When you do that results can be very good and you will be very happy with the results every time.
2. Negotiate the rental period and price
Why is that important? The main reason why you want to negotiate the rental period is because some landlords might give a discount if you sign a rental contract for multiple months or years. Of course, it depends on the landlord, but it’s still a great option.
Also, some landlords have the right to increase the rent every 12 months. So it makes sense for you to negotiate the rental price, as you can lock it in. There’s also a downside here, as you need to be 100% sure that you will be working in that region. Once you are signing a rental contract, you will have to pay monthly even if you change your workplace and you’re not close to it anymore.
3. Find rentals that don’t require a large deposit
Most Canadian apartment rentals tend to require a deposit from you. And that’s fine, but sometimes the deposit might be up to 2 months of rent. Some landlords won’t require a large deposit, and obviously you should pursue that type of situation. The average rental prices vary, but you can expect to pay around $1000 or more for the two-bedroom apartments and a bit less for the one-bedroom apartments.
4. Always Pay Your Rent on Time
Some workplaces want to be sure that you have a fixed accommodation to ensure that they can trust you. So it makes sense to pay everything on time, as you might have to send a letter from the landlord that it’s all fine and you have a place to live in for quite some time. This is an important aspect that a lot of immigrants might not realize unless they want to change their workplace.
It makes a lot of sense to take your time as you find the right accommodation. Searching the internet and working with some local real estate agents might help you find that. However, online search is better as you can find cheaper deals most of the time. Take your time with this and you will have no problem getting a very good set of results. Also, make sure that all your paperwork is up to date and valid so you can work and live in Canada without a problem. Once you sign a rental contract you will have to pay the specified amount on a monthly basis, so you want to be certain that you can afford it!