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Renting a place to live
- Leonardo Souza
- Aug 25, 2022
- 3 min read
Renting a place to live in Vancouver isn't an easy task. The city's real estate market is considered North America's most expensive one. Besides, the search for a place to rent is even harder for international students, since the landlord rather chooses those applicants that already have a credit score in Canada, which most of the newcomers don't have.
Even though it is a hard path, if you put your efforts into it and have the patience to keep searching, you will make it.
We've listed some websites (some of them can be also found as apps) that may help you to find some rental opportunities:
The Facebook MarketPlace can also be a great tool to search for rental offers:
It's important to know that you are probably not the only one interested in the property and applying for it. There are some things you can do to achieve better results by contacting these opportunities and being selected as a possible tenant:
Choose to call the phone numbers available in each offer instead of just subscribing to bot forms in the sites
Many people fill those forms everyday and never get a return about scheduling a visitation or about the properties availability. It would help if you try to call the owner or the property manager, or even send an email to the given address. The one renting the place may give you extra attention and answer you faster, increasing your chances to get a place to live.
Be aware you will have to prove that you can pay for the monthly rental
If you don't have a credit score, you will have to find another way to show the landlord or the manager that you are able to afford the place. Before starting to apply, try to arrange documents such as bank statements (from a Canadian bank, preferably) testifying you've got enough money to cover at least the first two months of rent. Offering yourself to pay an amount in advance regarding the Security Deposit can be helpful for you to be chosen.
CAUTION! Unfortunately, there are some people who try to take advantage of the huge amount of people trying to find a place to live by applying schemes. Usually, they post a fake offer and request money so they will accept you at the property. After getting the money, the impostor blows away and you never get your money back. To avoid being caught by this trick, require a visitation in person to the place. Also, if you are renting with a rental company, search about it on the internet and check if there are records about it, if there's a trustable website, and if other properties are being offered by them.
Other Options:
If renting your own place doesn't sound ideal for you we have some other options for you!
Homestay:
A homestay is a great option for those who want to save some money. You can stay in a local family house and get into their culture. Besides being cheaper it also includes 2 meals a day.
To get a homestay the best option would be to talk to your agency or school.
The one downside is that you don't know where you are going to stay, which can mean 15 minutes or 1:30 hours.
Student Residence:
A student residence is a perfect option for you that wants more independence but also wants some sense of security. In a student residence, you will have a manager that takes care of the house, which includes the cleaning and any domestic problems you may have.
To hire a student residence we recommend you to talk to your agency but we are leaving a link for University Living down below.
We wish you the best of luck finding your place, sometimes it can be a long and hard journey, but remember that in the end everything shall work out.
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