Housing in CanadaIn Canada, continued strong demand for housing and increasing house prices have resulted in a decline in rental occupancy rates (increase in rental vacancies). One of the most important task ahead of you is finding a place to live.Canada offers many different types of housing and a wide range of prices. Finding the right place for you and your family to live will take some effort.
In Canada there are differences in housing types, largely because of different climate conditions. Prices are different. They depend on local and employent conditions and the number of houses and apartments available. Land costs in big cities are high. For that reason, there are usually many apartment buildings in big cities. Apartments can be ideal for people who cannot afford to buy a house.
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Types of housing * Apartments
* Rooming house
* Semi-detached or duplex
* Singe-room occupancy
* Detached
Canada
Housing Customs
* Canadians take care of their houses and gardens.
* Most Canadians want to eventually buy a home. When Canadians grow older, they often sell their houses and use the money from the sale to buy an apartment.
* Canadians do not expect people to visit without invitation.
RentingIn Canada you can rent a place to live on month-month basis, or rent for one or two years. There are different types of living places for rent. Following are the different types of rental accomodation you will find in most Canadian cities and towns.
* Co-operative housing - It is a type of subsidized housing. rent for about half the units is what the tenant can afford to pay. Rent for the other units is market or near-market rate.
* Public Housing - This usually refers to houses or apartments the provincial government built and manages through a local housing authority. Public housing sets rent on what the tenant can afford. To get public housing you must be atleast 16 years old and a Canadian citizen or landed immigrant.
* Shared housing - Shared housing can be an apartment or house that share with another person or another family.
* Special needs housing - It is a type of shared housing. Specially designed and built for people with special medicl and physical needs.
* Subsidized housing - You pay less rent for subsidized housing that you do for compltely owned rental housing. This includes public housing, non-profit housing and co-operative housing.
The Housing market
Finding a place to live in CanadaCurrently, the rental market has a strong supply of residential rental properties (approximately 5%, which is significantly above the average vacancy rate of 3.3%).
The Canadian rental market can be described as tenant-friendly. Historically low interest rates for mortgage-type borrowing have influenced people to move from renting to owning. The higher supply of rental properties means landlords are offering different incentives such as free rentals for a month, free parking, home appliances and so on. This is especially true in densely populated cities, such as Toronto. In Canada, 33% of all properties are rental properties.
56% of all Canadian immigrants settle in Ontario, the majority in the Greater Toronto Area, so some of this section focuses on Toronto. If your chosen Canadian destination is different, you will still find many of your questions answered here.
In addition to other large Canadian cities, such as Vancouver and Montreal, Toronto is where a large number of students arrive from many countries in the world in order to develop, improve or perfect their knowledge of the English language.
The housing market in the rest of the major cities in Canada including Montreal, Ottawa, Vancouver, Calgary and Halifax is similar to Toronto. However, the main difference is the price levels for purchasing property (real estate). See listing below for the average price of a detached bungalow (single story house with no common walls with neighbours) in major Canadian cities:
Finding a place to rentThere are many ways to find an apartment or a house to rent. Canada may have workers who will help you find a place to live. Workers can help you find a place to stay until you find an apartment or house. If you are having difficulty finding a permanent place to live, consider a room taht rents by the week or a month. You can also ask your friends or fmily alredy living in the community. But to find the apartment or house that is right for you to live, you have to do your own search. You can also search the classified ads in ethnic newspapers, community newspapers, and daily and weekly newspapers.
The different types of accommodation generally available in urban areas such as Toronto are as follows:
* Apartment
* House
* Single room
* rentals Hostel / Guest House accommodation
* Homestay accommodation
* College or University campus residence
* Hotel
* Motel
* Other shared accommodation
* Government-subsidized housing (usually requires a long waiting period).
This list is by no means exhaustive, but it gives an indication of the choice you have when choosing accommodation.
Paying the rentRent is usually payable on the first day of each month. Some londlords may ask for postdated cheques. A postdated cheque cannot be cahed until the date shown on it. If you pay your rent in cash, make sure you get a receipt for the full amount. You can also pay your rent by certified cheque. It is a cheque that a bank guarantees it will cash. Many landlords expect a certified cheque for the first and last months' rent.
Location
Location is important. A good location demands high rent, though prestige is usually a factor as well. You probably won'y find an apartment or house within comfortable walking distance of work or shopping. Make it easy on yourself as possible. Walk around the area you like with a map. You may see a sign in a window advertising an apartment for rent.
Once you decided on location, you have to decide what type of home you can afford. A single family detached house is usually the most expensive choice. Semi-detached, duplex, townhouse and apartment condominiums are usually less expensive.
Where to look
There are many different sources of information when looking for an apartment or a house to rent:
* Our Housing Classifieds
* Local community newspapers (Villager, Guardian, etc.)
* City newspapers (Toronto Sun, Vancouver Sun, Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, Montreal Gazette, etc.)
* Free rental publications available in public places such as subway and bus stations (Homes for Rent publication, etc.)
* Personal contacts (family, friends, etc.)
* Management offices of rental properties (buildings, co-operative housing, etc.)
* Government offices
* Real estate agencies (not many do rentals)
In most cases for Toronto and major Canadian cities, the closer you are to the city center, the higher the rent/mortgage will be. In Toronto, average rental prices are:
* Approximately C$850/month for a one-bedroom apartment in the city of Toronto is (between $500 and $1,200 depending on the proximity to city center and the amenities included)
* Around C$1,000 for a 2-bedroom apartment (between $900 and $1,500 depending on the proximity to city center).
There is a small supply of luxury apartments priced up to several thousand dollars a month.
REF
http://www.nriol.com/welcome2canada/housing-in-canada.asp
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