satyasuman said:
I completely agree. Its just a little expensive option.
Disclaimer: Please see that Craigslist and any other website has fraud going on. Please be careful before posting any ads there or replying to any ads there. Please restrict your details.
Thanks,
satya.
Absolutely - it is important to be aware of possible fraud. I mentioned the potential for unscrupulous landlords to cheat immigrants who haven't entered Canada yet and who are trying to arrange accommodation from outside of the country.
Booking a hostel room for a week or two
may be a little more expensive, (although a hostel room for a family booked in advance isn't really very much in the great scheme of things) but it might well save you being trapped in a scam or in unsuitable accommodation for a lot longer time and that will end up costing you more in the long run.
Due to the possibilities of untrustworthy landlords and tenants, it is much better in my opinion to get there and meet face to face with a landlord and see what they are like. If you do not trust them, just walk away. Remember, they will have your damage deposit and you will have to trust them to give you it back at the end of your tenancy. Also they will be required for a
reference for your next rental and that can be a make or break when looking for your next place in Canada. They are
very hot on references! You need to have had a good relationship with a landlord because of this.
Everyone should have a look on craigslist for the area and type of accommodation that they might want before they go, I think.
You will see that there is a lot to choose from.
This will also give you a good idea of the rent you will be looking at. Many of the properties have map links so that you can see where they are.
In our experience though there is HUGE variation in the quality of accommodation even for similar price. I cannot even explain the terrible state of some of the places my husband saw when he was searching for a larger rural place for us to live together. He saw one which was essentially a shack with torn linoleum flooring and not even any insulation in the walls (freezing in the winter!!) which was on a farm which had kennels. This was not mentioned on the description and we have cats so would have avoided it.
It turned out that the rental property was actually
attached to the kennels and when asked about it, the owner said, "The dogs don't make much noise - except at feeding time, of course."
This was advertised at a similar price to what my husband now rents, which is beautiful and tranquil and very private. So, do not assume that you can rent without viewing!!!!!! Photos and descriptions can be deceptive.
I also recommend setting up a
separate e-mail address just for the purpose of enquiring about rentals and other purchases - that saves the possibility of getting hassled by anyone you would not wish to have spamming your usual e-mail account. It is also easier to check who has contacted you when you are in a race to get to properties before everyone else.
I have a Yahoo account I set up just for this and that works very well to keep my hotmail account free of spam and also for private correspondence not business.
