Housing III - RESOURCES

Today i'm ganna write about Part III of Housing Series, which is HOUSING RESOURCES:

1. Housing I – FINDING A PLACE TO LIVE
2. Housing II – HOUSING OPTIONS
3. Housing III – RESOURCES
4. Housing IV – DOCUMENTS AND APPLICATIONS
5. Housing V – LEASE

Here are some places where you can find out more about housing before you come to Ontario.

Real Estate Rental Services:
These services are also called Property Rental Management or Rental Locators. They are companies that help landlords find new tenants. They can help you find a place to live, for a fee.
Ask them what services they provide. Will they refund your money if you are not happy with their service? If they will not, do not pay any fees and do not use these services.

Relocate Canada:
This is an online guide for people relocating or moving in Canada. You can look for the city you want and find information about housing, child care, weather, expenses and many other things.

You can also download a telephone directory for many cities in Canada at: http://www.relocatecanada.com/

Yellow Pages:
The "Yellow Pages" is the section of a telephone book that lists business and professional firms in alphabetical order. The businesses are organized by categories.

You can search for Real Estate Rental Services through the Yellow Pages on the internet at: http://www.yellowpages.ca/

Classified Advertisements:
Most newspapers in Ontario have a Classifieds section where many landlords list places for rent. Landlords usually list apartments 1-2 months before someone can move in.

Reading these ads will help you learn about the cost and availability of the type of home you want. You can find these housing classified ads on many Ontario newspaper websites, like: www.kijiji.ca , http://www.rentersnews.ca.

As I said before, you will have to wait until you arrive to find a home here if you approach landlords yourself.

You can call a landlord before you arrive in Ontario; most landlords want to meet you in person before they rent their apartment or house to you.

Settlement Agencies
Settlement agencies can refer you to Housing Help Centres in your area and let you know about your short and long-term housing options.

Housing Help Centers
Many communities have Housing Help Centres to help people find low cost housing. You can use this service only after you arrive in Ontario. This service is good for people who do not have much money. A settlement agency can help you find the Housing Help Centre in your city.

Here are some services you can get at a Housing Help Centre:

• Help looking for housing
• Information about legal services and about the Residential Tenancies Act, the law that protects tenants and landlords
• Information about budgeting your money
• Help talking with social workers, legal aid providers, social housing providers and property managers
• Lists of private landlords
• Landlord information and education
• Help applying for subsidized housing
• Hostel / shelter information
• Help finding programs for food, clothing or health

Bulletin Boards:
You can find bulletin boards at community centres, laundromats, grocery stores and other local businesses. These bulletin boards often have information about places to rent.

Most universities and colleges have housing bulletin boards, websites and
housing offices to help their students find places to rent. If you are a student, check the bulletin boards at college and university housing services.

Sometimes you can see "For Rent" or "Vacancy" signs in front of apartment buildings or in windows of houses with rooms or apartments for rent. You can also ask superintendents at apartment buildings if any apartments will be vacant soon. You can ask them to put your name on a waiting list. You do not need to pay a fee or deposit to do this.

Your family and friends might know about places for rent. Tell them that you are looking for a place to live.

Look first in smaller buildings or look for landlords with apartments or rooms to rent in their homes. Some large rental companies want you to give them names of people in the city who know you. Or they may want you to pay a large deposit of money before they will rent to you.