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All that your future landlord may consider at the time of your meeting is your solvency; he/she may make an investigation of your credit history, but the landlord can not refuse to rent you an apartment because of your color, beliefs or nationality. The Canadian Charter of the rights and freedoms prohibits the discrimination based on the color, the beliefs, the sex, the age or deficiencies.
Here are some tricks for better renting:
The prices for renting an apartment in Canada vary in a big range depending on the city, the area, the construction and the condition of the building etc. For example, the average price for an apartment with one bedroom, a kitchen and a living room begins from 900 $ in Toronto , 600 $ in Montreal , and 750 in Vancouver . These prices are for buildings made of wood, not concrete. The concrete constructions are more expensive and respectively the prices are higher. When you arrive for the first time in Canada , you must take into consideration the sum that you can afford to pay for your monthly rent, the number of rooms you need, and the place where you intend to live. Usually, the expenses for heating, gas, electricity, water, utilities and laundry are not included in the price, so when you sign a lease, inform yourself what exactly is included in your monthly rent. In some of the cases, the heating and the water prices are included in the rent, but you must be aware of these things before signing of your rental agreement. The taxes for property are paid by the landlord, and you must pay the costs of telephone and cable television connection and the monthly bills for those services.
The unfurnished apartments usually includes: its own door, which can be locked, to a common hallway or to the street; a kitchen with a sink and hot and cold water, countertop, shelves or cupboards and appliances such as a stove and a refrigerator; closets and storage space; a private bathroom with a sink, toilet and bath or shower and of course bedroom(s). For an apartment which is to be given for rent is obligatory to be equipped with a heating system; light and electricity; hot and cold water; telephone lines; and sewage pipes. Furnished apartments should include beds, chairs, tables, floor covering, light fixtures, curtains, basic kitchen equipment in addition to utilities, a stove and a refrigerator.
The main sources of information for finding an apartment are the classified advertisements in local newspapers and what you hear from other people. Some agencies which advertise apartments may charge a fee. This does not mean they will find a home for you, but they may show you more of what is available. Be careful before you sign any type of contract.
The landlord will hold the apartment for you after you pay a deposit (which will be applied to the rent) and you both sign an offer to rent the apartment.
In many cities there is a standard rental agreement, or lease, that both you and your landlord sign. This is a printed document of one or two pages which specifies the number of rooms, utilities and options such as parking or storage space.
Read it carefully before signing. Be sure you understand which utilities you will pay, which will be paid by the landlord and what penalty you may have to pay if you leave before the lease is over. An immigrant-serving agency will be able to help you understand exactly what is expected of you.
The lease will most likely be for at least one year, and you will have to make an initial payment, possibly the first and last month's rent. You may also be asked for a damage deposit, which will be returned to you when you leave if you have not caused any damage to the property beyond normal use. For this reason it is important to note any damage and tell your landlord before you move in.
If you want to rent a house instead of an apartment, you will follow the same procedures as renting an apartment. There may be more appliances, such as a clothes washer and dryer. The tenant usually pays for utilities and heat. The prices for houses are higher than these for the apartments, and the landlords require references or guarantees from the potential tenants. These facts must be taken into consideration especially from the newly arrived immigrants because they do not have reference letters from previous landlords in Canada , so they must have guarantees if they want to rent a house.
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