Attention Ravens, it’s that time of year again! The grand opening of the 2014 season of house/apartment hunting! For those of you who are new to the hunt scene, I’m here to offer you some sound pieces of advice from my three years of living in Ottawa, so let’s begin.
There are an abundance of things to take into consideration when thinking of your first move into the off-campus realm. If you’re looking for your housing lease to end at the end of April next year, you should start looking around now. If you’re looking to start renting for the month of September then the best time to look is around June and July. Either way, you will be paying rent during the summer times whether you stay there or not. Now, primarily, the first worry everyone has is whether or not they’ll find a place in time or if it will be pretty, can they paint the walls, what kind of furniture will they get etc. Stop. Step back. Breathe. One step at a time young grasshopper! First things first.
Your Roommates
For those of you who choose to live alone, it’s a great experience in fending for yourself and a way to prepare you for the future. For those of you who choose to live with one, two, three, or five people like myself, it is quite another experience altogether. The best piece of advice I can offer you is choose wisely. Sure the girl who’s your newly made BFF and knows how to have a good time like no other is great to hang out with on weekends. But when you have to study for an exam, or write a paper for Monday morning, her fun shenanigans are going to make you want to tear your hair out. No bueno my friends!
Location, Location, Location
It is super important for you to find a place that is easily accessible to many amenities. For example a grocery store, a bus stop to school, doctor’s office (curse you flu season!), and anything you deem to be a necessity. Sure the bus stop that’s at the end of your street is great during September, October, and the beginning of November. But when the time comes for the winter apocalypse, the last thing you’ll want to do is shuffle through four feet of snow in -30 weather at 8:00am to catch your bus. Some people can brave it, and I am very envious of those people….I also kind of miss the tunnels.
Pay Attention
Is your place close to a major road? Is there a lot of traffic? Are the windows new? How’s the roof? And many, many more questions you need to ask the landlord. If you’re not exactly sure what kinds of questions to ask, talk to your parents or friends who live off-campus for their experiences with renting a place. My bedroom currently faces a busy road, and I have lost count of the amount of times I’ve been woken up by sirens, snow plows, and giant trucks roaring by! Be smart about your decision!
Beware the Security Deposit
The place where sketchy landlords try to snag you is by asking for first and last rent plus a security deposit upon signing. Step away from the pen, and familiarize yourself with the Ottawa Landlord and Tenant Act! By law, landlords cannot ask for a security deposit along with first and last rent. They can however ask for first month’s rent and a security deposit, but not all three.
Here’s the link to the Ottawa Landlord and Tenant Act. And here are some websites to get you started!
http://ottawa.kijiji.ca/f-real-estate-house-rental-W0QQCatIdZ43http://housing.carleton.ca/off-campus-housing/http://www.ottawastudentapartments.ca/
Enjoy the hunt!