Find Accommodation in Canada
Find Accommodation in Canada
It is a wise decision to find accommodation in Canada as early as possible when you are coming to study here. Consequently, international students should analyze all available information about various types and conditions of accommodation in Canada.
If you want to find accommodation in Canada, you should consider on-campus housing (dormitories and townhalls), homestay with a host family, and off-campus accommodation (shared apartment and apartment rental, student hotels).
When you are new to the country and want to find accommodation in Canada, it is better to choose on-campus accommodation, if available. As a rule, Most Public Canadian colleges and universities reserve their dormitories for all first-year international students. Nevertheless, all dormitories are mostly closed during the winter holidays, and you should contact The International Student Centre to ask for accommodation assistance during this time. For on-campus accommodation, international students need to pay starting from 3,000 CAD to 7,500 CAD each school year. On-campus accommodation can cost more than renting an off-campus apartment at first glance. Nevertheless, many of your maintenance and utility fees are included in this price. There is also no need to use public transport by living on campus.
If you want to find accommodation in Canada and feel like home, you can consider host families. Some colleges and universities may offer you to live in a local family to adjust to a new country and to learn more about the local culture and traditions. If your educational institution does not offer homestay placement, you can use our services and we will be glad to assist you in finding suitable accommodation, which will be close to your school and other facilities. Our Company carefully evaluates host families, so you can be sure of your host family and get help at any time. Speaking about the cost of a homestay, it can vary from 900 CAD to 1,000 CAD per month, depending on how many meals and services are included in the price and what province you are going to visit.
When you are a mature international student and want to find accommodation in Canada without any restrictions, you should consider off-campus accommodation. It means renting a house, an apartment, or a room. Nevertheless, living alone is expensive in Canada, and most international students prefer to share their rented apartments with friends or peers.
If you want to find accommodation in Canada, you can go through apartment options online, contact your peers, or get in touch with housing-focused Facebook groups. The rent of a shared apartment in Canada is between 600 CAD to 900 CAD per month, while the rent of a home or apartment is between 1,000 CAD and 2,000 CAD per month.
We have described all the main types of student accommodation in Canada above. Now it is time to discuss how to find accommodation in Canada in more detail. The main rule that all international students must follow, states that you must never send money before seeing the apartment or meeting the landlord face-to-face. Consequently, it is important to find accommodation in Canada for the first few nights before your arrival to Canada. If you have a limited budget, you can find a suitable short-term accommodation on Hostelworld. If you want to find accommodation in Canada and be sure of your choice, you can also use the temporary apartment rental website, Airbnb. Using these services, you can book a cheap apartment for a few weeks or months until you find accommodation in Canada that suits your needs and budget.
One more option to find accommodation in Canada is local newspapers and websites such as Kijiji and Craigslist. Moreover, in many cities, landlords post signs outside their property advertising available vacancies. So, you can easily find accommodation in Canada in your preferred neighbourhood.
Looking for accommodation in Canada, you should know some important things about accommodation rentals. Usually, rentals in Canada start on the 1st of each month. Consequently, you need to arrive in Canada around two weeks before the month’s end if you want to find accommodation in Canada with an optimum ratio of price-quality.
International students also should examine the cost of renting in Canada’s most popular destination cities since it can vary drastically. It is a wise decision to refer to the website for the cost-of-living comparison, Numbeo. For instance, a good one-bedroom apartment in the city of Edmonton would cost no more than 1,000 CAD per month, while the same apartment in Vancouver or Toronto would cost no less than 2,000 CAD per month.
If you want to find accommodation in Canada, you should know that Hamilton, Calgary, and Montreal offer some of the cheapest accommodations, while Vancouver and Toronto have more expensive apartments. You can check the most expensive cities to rent in British Columbia and Ontario using The National Rent Report by Rentals.ca. Naturally, Toronto and Vancouver are on top of this list.
Speaking about the most affordable cities to live in Canada, Montreal is on the top of the list. The average price of a month’s rent in this Canadian city is no more than 1,000 CAD, and you can pay even less if you live in a shared apartment. Other cities in Quebec, including Gatineau and Quebec City, have even more affordable apartments for rent.
While the most expensive cities for renting are in the province of Ontario, it is also home to some of the most affordable places to live. If you want to find accommodation in Canada, you should look towards smaller cities in Ontario. For instance, Cornwall, Sault Ste. Marie and Timmins offer good accommodation for rent in Ontario.
The next step to consider after finding the best accommodation is getting a lease. As a rule, landlords request information about your ability to pay rent for long-term accommodation in Canada. You can show the landlord a bank statement showing that you have enough money to cover rent for a few months, a letter from your current employer that shows your annual income, or a reference from your previous landlord. After signing a lease, you can be asked to leave a deposit equal to one month’s rent. Consequently, you have to be ready to pay rent, utilities (such as electricity and water), internet, and a deposit.
After discussing how to find accommodation in Canada, it is important to mention some tips you need to remember while looking for an off-campus apartment.
- You can contact your educational institution since they may have a list of off-campus renting options in the neighbourhood.
- Looking for an off-campus apartment, you should consider the distance from your school and the kind of public transport available for your commute.
- Most good apartments are already taken by peak months, such as August and September. Thus, you should start looking for off-campus accommodation as soon as you get your acceptance letter. Many Canadian schools send a pre-departure orientation package and brochures with accommodation options. You should compare all available options to choose the best one for you.
- As was mentioned before, beware of fake ads about properties that do not exist. Before signing a lease or making deposits, you must see the apartment and its owner face-to-face.
- You should also know that the majority of off-campus apartments in Canada are unfurnished. Moreover, it can be expensive to buy furniture from the market. Hence, you can find cheap or free things on Craigslist.
It is not hard to find accommodation in Canada if you know what to do and where to find the apartment. You can choose on-campus housing or host family if you are a newcomer in Canada. If you are a mature international student or have your own family, it is better to consider off-campus accommodation. Wherever you decide to live, you need to feel comfortable and safe. In this case, you will enjoy your time in Canada.
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