A 2-bedroom apartment is often the right rental accommodation choice for newcomers to Canada and international students for many reasons.
The primary advantage, however, is having a roommate to share the cost of the rent.
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Currently, a two-bedroom apartment in Toronto, according to Rentals.ca, rents for $3,287 dollars per month (a one-bedroom is $2,495).
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That’s expensive.
The good news is that a two-bedroom in Hamilton rents for $2,201, and in Windsor, Ontario, it’s $1,904. Go further west in Canada, and a two-bedroom in Edmonton, Alberta, costs $1,639.
So, there are many 2-bedroom options nationwide for newcomers and students. Check out Rentals for Newcomers for current listings across Canada.
Two-bedroom units appeal to younger Millennial and GenZ renters (the newcomer demographic!) and immigrants arriving with families. So, it’s no wonder it has the highest rent demand in urban areas.
There are more than 2.13 million apartment units across Canada, and according to Statistica, the majority are two-bedroom.
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The decision regarding how many bedrooms you need to house your family should be based on your needs and finances.
Also, when choosing a two-bedroom, consider the apartment’s size and your family’s needs. It’s a good idea to check the apartment’s specific layout and size to ensure everyone can live comfortably and well.
In addition to giving you and your roommate/family more living (and closet) space, a two-bedroom layout gives you more design options for furniture. Basically, it gives you more freedom to customize your living space.
Distribution of residential real estate units in Canada in 2021 by building type
Some of the other reasons why a 2-bedroom floor plan is preferable include:
Room for setting up a dedicated work-from-home office
A larger common area to seat up to four people.
Sharing utility costs with a roommate
Sharing means you can likely live closer to work or school
Some offer a main bedroom with a private bathroom
An extra room/space for visiting family and friends
It may include a larger balcony, handy in the summer
It is much preferable than a one-bedroom if you’re planning to start a family in Canada
It gives you more flexibility regarding your lifestyle
If you plan to buy a home within 3 to 5 years, a two-bedroom allows you to remain in one spot until you do—in other words, no moving.
Here are the four common layout plans for 2-bedroom apartments:
The smallest 2-bedroom apartment floor plan usually has two bedrooms and one full bathroom with access to the bathroom from a hallway outside of either bedroom, thus allowing anyone to access the bathroom without going through a bedroom. This is considered the perfect layout for two roommates. In addition, the two bedrooms are (almost) equal in size. Be sure to check out the amount of storage.
2. The medium-sized version may contain two bedrooms and 1.5 bathrooms and be on one or two floors. The two-story layout often has a living room, kitchen, and half bathroom downstairs and two bedrooms and a separate full bathroom upstairs. If it’s a one-story layout, there may be a half bath near the living room and kitchen and a full bath near the bedrooms. An extra half bathroom is a useful feature for newcomers with families or lots of guests.
3. The larger two-bedroom apartment plan, usually found in many condo rentals, features two bedrooms and two bathrooms. In this layout, the main bedroom has an attached full bathroom, while the second bedroom does not. The second full bathroom is usually off of a hallway, which allows guests to use it without walking through the bedroom.
4. Finally, the 2-bedroom deluxe layout, common to condo rentals, may have 2.5 bathrooms. It usually includes walk-in closets for the main bedroom. and may include fixture upgrades and a larger kitchen/dining area.
A 2-bedroom apartment offers newcomer renters the chance to balance affordability, maximize living space, and maintain flexibility while doing longer-term life planning, such as buying a home.
It’s no wonder 2-bedroom apartments are in such demand in Canada
*Rent prices were accurate when this article was published but may change over time.
Stephen Tustin is the Editor for Rentals for Newcomers and contributing editor for Prepare for Canada. He is the former managing editor of Storeys.com and a former senior editor at both the Globe and Mail and the Toronto Star.
*Prepare for Canada did not use AI-generated content in the writing of this story, and all sources are cited and credited where possible.
As Scotiabank’s Rebekah Young analyzes what’s ahead for Canada’s economy as 2024 unfolds, it’s clear that she sees “no quick fixes” on the horizon.
Whether it’s Canadian inflation, housing, immigration, economic growth, or productivity, Young, as Scotiabank’s first head of Inclusion and Resilience Economics, is measuring closely how governments at all levels and leaders in the economy plan and implement to avoid a recession, lower interest rates, manage ambitious immigration targets, boost productivity and build much needed, overdue housing.
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Before participating in Prepare for Canada’s most recent Canadian Connections Summit 2024, Young shared her insights with us.
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Canada, Young observed, is “good at dividing up the pie, but we’ve not figured out how to grow it.”
Providing thought leadership on Canada’s economy
Young’s thought leadership focus at Scotiabank since 2019 has centred on improved well-being shared broadly throughout Canadian society.
Young started at Scotiabank as Director of Fiscal & Provincial Economics, focusing on provincial and federal economic and fiscal forecasts, public policy issues and the global auto sector.
Immigration is part of a larger, complex system
She has a B.A. in chemical engineering from McGill University, an M.Sc. in environmental policy from the London School of Economics in London, England, and an MBA from INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France, and Singapore.
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Heading into her participation in the February Summit, jobs, immigration, and housing for all Canadians remain key issues for her.
Her insights into immigration and the need to replace a rapidly aging (and retiring) Canadian workforce reveal and remind, as she says below, that “immigration is part of a much larger and complex system.”
Here’s what she had to say to us about Canada’s economy and 2024 in advance of the February Canadian Connections Summit.
You recently wrote after the federal government’s 2023 Fall Economic Statement that “Canada needs a more fulsome and informed debate on its fiscal future. While Canada’s government debt—general or federal, net or gross—is pretty good and its deficits relatively small plotted against peers, it risks complacency that could harbour vulnerabilities over time.” What are those vulnerabilities, and how could they impact jobs and immigration?
Canada’s public debt is still relatively low. It is certainly higher after enormous public spending in the wake of COVID-19, but governments around the world similarly saw debt levels surge with spending. Global bond markets can be relative: as long as we are the least bad among peers and we’re not in the midst of a global meltdown, we are generally ok. All of those boxes are ticked right now.
It is not a given those conditions will hold in the future. Canada’s highly decentralized governance puts more powers in lower orders of government, but this comes with more fiscal pressures. More than half of Canada’s debt sits with provinces and municipalities where there is no shortage of fiscal pressures in the pipeline from health care to long term care to affordable housing, to name just a few.
Canada also has a weak record of investing in longer-term growth. Its productivity is abysmal, however, measured (or whomever faulted). All levels and stripes of government have been leaning on transfers to households as a preferred policy tool to alleviate near-term pressures, while we’ve not yet moved the dial on enabling a thriving business environment. Essentially, we’re good at dividing up the pie, but we’ve not figured out how to grow it.
These are just a few factors that will erode Canadian’s quality of life over time without a more fulsome debate on Canada’s fiscal future. How do we work better together to use limited tax dollars to unlock stronger (and more sustainable) growth to support higher welfare in the medium term?
These trends should be a positive for immigration over the long run. As big as the immigration numbers might be, they come nowhere near close to closing the shortfalls left by a rapidly aging workforce in Canada.
The economic landscape changed substantially in 2023 globally and athome. Can you talk about that shifting landscape?
I’ll stick my neck out and suggest there is a sense of hope – if not relief – that things might start looking up as (2024) progresses. Recall last year, most market watchers rang in the new year calling for a recession. That rhetoric persisted all year as interest rates seemed to just go up and up. Scotiabank Economics was among the few pointing to resilience, namely in job markets and household finances, that was mitigating the worst.
That resilience is waning now, but so too is inflation. The Bank of Canada has more or less said its job is done, which has fueled a collective sense of relief. It is now a question of when they start cutting interest rates and how quickly. We will have more clarity as the year advances.
We will move on to new preoccupations. While we may no longer be gripped with more rate hikes, we will still likely be seeing their lagged effects, including higher (but not historically high) unemployment rates. The pace of rate cuts is also likely to be slower than some may hope. Its resting rate is unlikely to go back to pre-pandemic lows. And there will be no shortage of geo-political risk on the horizon. (We don’t have to look further than our neighbours south of the border as their presidential election season kicks off!)
How should we view the federal government’s new immigration targets, given thatit’s the first time since the Liberals took office in 2015 that the levels aren’tprojected to increase?
The government’s intention to hold new immigration numbers flat two years out is largely a signalling exercise. The government is acknowledging the growing pains facing its immigration plans. The most visible has been the lack of housing to support a rapidly growing population.
Canadians and newcomers alike are feeling this through still-high home prices (even if resales have softened against high-interest rates) and even faster-rising rents. Other infrastructure, such as healthcare and educational systems, have also proven ill-prepared. Half a million (newcomers) is still a big number – but if we learned anything last year – it’s not as big as the actual number of arrivals into the country. When year-end numbers are tallied, they will no doubt show that the government hit its permanent resident (PR) target of 465k last year (2023). About 35 percent of those granted PR status are already in the country.
Meanwhile, population growth will likely land somewhere closer to 1.2 mn. That math suggests only about a quarter of Canada’s population growth is coming from PRs, with the balance mostly coming from non-permanent streams, including international students and temporary foreign workers.
All levels of government (and other stakeholders, including academic institutions and businesses) still have their work cut out for them. Canada needs to urgently improve these immediate bottlenecks to ensure that the country can still benefit from the longer-term advantages of a growing and diverse labour force.
Immigration Minister Marc Miller has also announced a broader plan for improving the immigration system. What do you think he’s trying to achieve?
Broadly speaking, the ‘plan’ is welcomed and overdue. The range of measures set out by the federal immigration minister reflects that immigration is part of a much larger and complex system. The plan acknowledges, for example, that the settlement experience of newcomers needs to be improved. It recognizes that there needs to be better alignment and integration of skills and labour market needs. It also concedes that coordination and collaboration is essential.
The term ‘plan’ is perhaps a misnomer for what is closer to a framework. It provides a structure to weigh trade-offs of sometimes competing policy objectives. It also enables different partners to see where they fit. Positively, it appears to be evergreen, as we’ve seen a series of new measures announced since the plan was unveiled last Fall. More are still likely needed.
Implementation will be key. There is still the potential for unintended consequences in some of the measures. Also, the federal government and IRCC, specifically, hold few levers across many of the desired actions and outcomes. The intent and commitment are there at the highest level, but evidence will be in execution.
Inflation (aside from housing inflation) appears to be slowing. What does that mean for the cost of living in Canada? And do you see a way, in the short term, to“tame” housing inflation, particularly rent prices?
Inflation is finally starting to approach something more ‘normal.’ We are now seeing numbers that sit within the Bank of Canada’s target range of 1 to 3 percent. But we are not out of the woods yet. We will likely only see that mid-point at 2 percent by this year, with lots of volatility in the meantime. This will keep the Bank of Canada on the edge of its seat at least early this year.
Softening price appreciation should alleviate some cost of living pressures, but it won’t solve them. Keep in mind, prices are increasing, just more slowly, and levels are still high. Across a whole range of products and services, we’re not likely to see pre-pandemic prices again. Fortunately, rising wages are – and eventually, interest rate cuts should – provide further relief to Canadians. Unfortunately, there is no quick fix to housing affordability. Lacklustre supply against a growing population has been years in the making and may even get worse as interest rates ease. It will take concerted and sustained effort across the spectrum of housing solutions to drive meaningful results. This will take time.
For someone planning a move to Canada, the best advice can be to consider the relative costs of living carefully as these can vary substantially across the country – and more so than wages.
Rebekah Young, VP, Head of Inclusion & Resilience economics, scotiabank
What do you see as the positives shaping up for Canada’s economy in 2024?
Perspective and patience are warranted. Economic activity will likely move sideways for much of the year. Interest rates should come down, but maybe not as quickly as hoped. But it could have been worse and still could be worse. We need to get through this necessary slowdown to reaffirm Canada’s long-standing reputation for low, stable and predictable inflation. This is good for Canadians and the economy in the long run.
RELATED: You can watch Rebekah Young at the Canadian Connections Summit here.
Steve Tustin is the Editor/Curator for Rentals for Newcomers and contributing editor for Prepare for Canada. He is the former managing editor of Storeys.com and a former senior editor at both the Globe and Mail and the Toronto Star.
*Prepare for Canada used no AI-generated content in the writing of this story, and all sources are cited and credited where possible.
Homeownership, whether it’s a single-family home, duplex, townhouse, or condo, remains a key goal for an overwhelming majority of Canadians and newcomers to Canada.
A 2022 study by the research firm Ipsos Public Affairs found that a large percentage of newcomers to Canada are homebuyers within their first five years of arriving.
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All Canadian homeowners quickly discover that homeownership comes with costs: a mortgage, insurance, and monthly maintenance, in addition to daily living expenses.
Mortgage costs are on the rise
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Since March 2022, the Bank of Canada has raised the policy interest rate to 4.5 percent from 0.25 percent.
It’s estimated that the 1.4 million Canadians who got a mortgage in 2020 or 2021 may have seen their median monthly mortgage cost go up by $420, or 30 percent upon renewal.
According to the Globe and Mail’s David Parkinson, economists at Desjardins Capital Markets have issued a dark warning about how much more damage high-interest rates could inflict on the mortgage and housing market, calling it a ticking time bomb.
One effective way for Canadian homeowners to handle those homeownership expenses and challenges is to become a home-sharing host.
How does home-sharing work?
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Home-sharing hosts rent out spare bedrooms in their homes to long-term housemates in exchange for rent (and possibly added help around the house and companionship).
Become a home-sharing host
And while the home-sharing concept isn’t new, Prepare for Canada and Sparrow Share have recently partnered to offer a unique and fulfilling path for newcomer homeowners to become home-sharing hosts.
Oren Singer, the co-founder and CEO of Sparrow, says Canada needs “to do a better job of making it easier and safer for newcomers to find good housing options in Canada.”
“There’s a ton of underutilized housing space in the form of spare rooms and basements,” said Singer.
“With the cost of living so high these days, we’re seeing many homeowners turning to home-sharing as a way to supplement income.”
Oren singer, co-founder & ceo, sparrow
Sparrow estimates that there are over 12 million empty bedrooms across Canada.
In Ontario, it’s estimated that more than half of residents — and three-quarters of those over the age of 65 — live in houses that are bigger than they need. That adds up to five-million spare bedrooms across the province, according to a pre-pandemic report by the Canadian Centre for Economic Analysis.
Meanwhile, rental demand (and prices) across the country continues to surge.
Canada aims to welcome 465,000 new immigrants this year after admitting a record-breaking 431,000 newcomers in 2022.
The country hopes to land 485,000 newcomers in 2024 and 500,000 in 2025. Canada has also welcomed a record number of international students, with those numbers expected to increase.
Newcomers struggle to find accommodation
Newcomer homeowners know from experience that for most immigrants and international students arriving in Canada, finding accommodation can be difficult and stressful.
The Prepare for Canada/Sparrow initiative offers an uncomplicated home-sharing service to help homeowner hosts find, connect, and match with a verified pool of potential housemates, says Dave Frattini, Managing Partner, Prepare for Canada and Rentals for Newcomers.
Housemates can rent a room for as little as two months or up to a year.
Sparrow matches hosts and housemates
Sparrow, says Singer, does the credit and background check and attempts to match hosts and housemates based on compatibility.
Hosts can list their space and create a profile for free. A service fee for hosts is only charged once the host has received the first rental payment from the housemate.
The host service fee (a one-time only charge) ranges from 1/4 – 1 month’s rent, depending on the length of the home share contract:
TERM LENGTH
ONE TIME ONLY HOST SERVICE FEE
1 -3 months
1/4 month’s rent
4 – 5 months
1/2 month’s rent
6 – 9 months
3/4 month’s rent
10 – 12 months
1 month’s rent
(There are no service fees for housemates).
The benefits for the host, according to Singer, include:
Earning up to $1,200 extra income each month to cover rising living costs.
Enjoying the companionship of a like-minded housemate.
Reducing your mortgage payment and the burden and stress of home maintenance.
Playing an important role in easing Canada’s housing crisis.
Helping newcomers and international students settle in their new country.
“Sparrow is very reliable and handles any concerns with expertise and professionalism,” said home share host Alma Ramos.
“I currently have a housemate, and because it was a perfect match, we live (under) one roof harmoniously.”
“We’re on a mission,” says Frattini, “to help newcomers enter the rental market faster and easier by connecting them with newcomer homeowners and allies who can provide safe and affordable housing.”
“We look forward to reaching out to any and all homeowners across the country who want to contribute to building this innovative housing solution for newcomers.”
*No Chat GPT was used in the writing of this story, and all sources are cited and credited where possible
For most newcomers and international students arriving in Canada and seeking accommodation, a very short-term rental usually comes first, followed by a longer-term rental.
But there is another housing solution for newcomers: home-sharing, or rooms for newcomers.
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Home-sharing, of course, is not new to Canada. Other home-sharing programs exist, primarily focused on keeping seniors living and aging in place and helping students find affordable accommodation.
Home-share solutions for newcomers
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But now Sparrow, a Canadian home-sharing platform supported by Accenture and CMHC, is looking to help immigrants explore, and find, home-share solutions with rooms for newcomers.
It’s also looking to enlist settled newcomer homeowners as hosts.
This Sparrow-Prepare for Canada initiativeaims to provide immigrants and international students with accommodation sharing, another housing alternative to apartments, condos, or house renting.
“We need to do a better job of making it easier and safer for newcomers to find good housing options in Canada,” said Oren Singer, co-founder and CEO of Sparrow. “There’s a ton of underutilized housing space in the form of spare rooms and basements.
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“With the cost of living so high these days, we’re seeing many homeowners turning to home-sharing as a way to supplement income.”
The rooms-for-newcomers project is definitely timely.
Rental demand across the country is soaring (and vacancy rates are falling) as tens of thousands of newcomers and international students arrive each month.
“We need to do a better job of making it easier and safer for newcomers to find good housing options in Canada.”
Oren Singer, Co-founder and CEO, Sparrow
Immigration is driving rental demand
Canada’s ambitious immigration targets are definitely fuelling rental demand and competition for available rental accommodation. In this case, it’s helpful to know how newcomers to Canada can impress a landlord.
Canada plans to welcome 465,000 new immigrants this year after admitting a record-breaking 431,000 newcomers in 2022, mainly from India, the Philippines and China.
The country hopes to land 485,000 newcomers in 2024 and 500,000 in 2025. Canada has also welcomed a record number of international students, with those numbers continuing to rise.
Where will they live?
A recent report by RBC estimated that Canada’s rental housing shortage will quadruple to 120,000 units by 2026 without a significant boost in stock, writes Sammy Hudes of The Canadian Press.
To reach the optimal vacancy rate of three percent (it’s now hovering around 2 percent), the report said Canada would need to add 332,000 rental units over the next three years, which would mark an annual increase of 20 percent compared with the 70,000 units built last year.
Sparrow estimates that there are over 12 million empty bedrooms across Canada.
In Ontario alone, it’s estimated that more than half of residents — and three-quarters of those over the age of 65 — live in houses that are bigger than they need, leaving five-million spare bedrooms across the province, according to a pre-pandemic report by the Canadian Centre for Economic Analysis.
Newcomer homeowner hosts are also needed
“We have an opportunity and responsibility to reimagine how we use and share our housing space,” says the Sparrow website. The company also notes that one in five Canadian renters spends more than half their income on shelter costs.
Obviously, to meet the demand for accommodation sharing, Sparrow and Prepare for Canada are looking for hosts in addition to housemates.
Toronto host is paying it forward
The lack of affordable housing for renters, plus population growth and inflation, inspired homeowner Karen H. to become a Sparrow host. “I decided that I could pay it forward by helping somebody get in a space to live at a reasonable price.”
Karine S., who rents a room from Karen in Toronto, said that initially, she didn’t know about the Sparrow concept of housemates and renting a room. She said she was hesitant at first because of previous issues with roommates.
“I was a little bit wary going into this,” she said, “but the thing that really clarified it for me was actually finding a compatible match (Karen).”
Rental costs in Canada are soaring
In addition to demand and competition for rentals, the price of rents across Canada keeps increasing, particularly in popular Gateway cities such as Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal.
In March of 2023, a one-bedroom apartment in Toronto costs $2,506 a month. A one-bedroom in Saskatoon (one of Canada’s most affordable cities for rent) costs $1,123 monthly.
So, how do “rooms for newcomers” work?
Sparrow’s home-sharing platform and community match hosts with spare bedrooms with newcomers and international students seeking budget-friendly places to live. The company also sees its business as building social connections and increasing the quality of life for Canadians.
In fact, a recent study shows that “altruistic motivations were expressed by home providers with respect to the difficulty young people face in finding housing in large urban areas.” Intergenerational learning was also cited as a motivation for hosts.
Housemates can rent for as little as two months
Under the Sparrow/Prepare for Canada initiative, newcomers can rent a room for as little as two months or a full year.
“You decide how long you’d like to home share for, and we’ll find you the right fit,” says Sparrow.
Here’s how the program works for newcomers in four easy steps:
2 – Connect with a pool of like-minded hosts who have bedrooms for rent and choose the right fit for you.
3 – Review and sign your home-share agreement.
4 – Move into your new home. Sparrow’s concierge team is available every step of the way.
According to Sparrow, the average rent is approximately $750 monthly, depending on the home and location (according to Rentals.ca, the asking rents for all property listings in March reached an average of $2,004).
Focus on safety and security
Sparrow does credit and background checks and attempts to match people based on compatibility.
Hosts can list their space and create a profile for FREE. A service fee for hosts is only charged once the host has received the first rental payment from the housemate.
The host service fee (a one-time only fee) ranges from 1/4 – 1 month’s rent, depending on the length of the home share contract:
The company focuses on ensuring safety and security. Its matching process involves rigorous identity verification, background checks, home share agreements, and screening interviews. Sparrow also matches based on compatibility to enable better connections based on habits, lifestyles, and living preferences.
Anyone who decides to become a host should check with their insurance company to see if any additional coverage is needed.
Sharing accommodation is an affordable option for newcomers
“Rooms and/or basements on the Sparrow platform are more budget-friendly compared to an average studio or 1-bedroom rental rates,” says Singer.
“We’ve been helping newcomers make connections that simplify the immigration journey for over 12 years,” says Dave Frattini, managing partner of Prepare for Canada and Rentals for Newcomers.
“Sparrow is a purpose-driven home-sharing platform and community that makes it easy, safe, and enjoyable to rent a room,” said Frattini.
“Together, we’re on a mission to help newcomers enter the rental market faster and easier than ever by connecting newcomers with newcomer and newcomer ally homeowners who can help newcomers find safe and affordable housing. We’re pleased to launch this initiative, and we look forward to reaching out to any homeowners across the country who want to contribute to building this innovative housing solution for newcomers.”
Matching newcomers to a place they can call home
For newcomers to Canada and international students, renting a room represents an affordable and viable path to sharing accommodation in Canada, and a chance to make a lifelong friend.
“We’re proud to collaborate with Prepare for Canada to help connect and match newcomers to places they can call home,” says Singer.
For newcomers and international students arriving in Canada, the real housing journey begins with finding long-term rental accommodation.
Though immigrants may start with a short-term rental, the hard work begins with finding that first rental.
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Of course, doing the research before arriving in Canada is essential to help you prepare to compete in Canada’s tight, low-vacancy rental markets.
How to find rental accommodation in Canada for newcomers
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But for real help and direction, many newcomers increasingly turn to Rentals for Newcomers.
Why has this site become so popular with newcomers and international students seeking their first rental home in Canada?
The mission of Rentals for Newcomers is to help newcomers avoid headaches, heartaches, and expenses (both in time and money) in their rental search by promoting the landlords who value newcomers.
For immigrants arriving in Canada’s competitive rental market, sites like Rentals for Newcomers are invaluable.
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An early 2023 National Rent Report from Rentals.ca showed that asking rents in Canada increased 9.7 percent year-over-year to an average of $1,984 in February.
Steady rent increases are predicted throughout 2023, primarily due to the influx of newcomers (and aspiring homeowners being unable to enter the homeownership market, despite falling prices and sales).
The competition for rental units is expected to tighten as more newcomers and international students arrive.
Canada plans to welcome 465,000 new immigrants this year after admitting a record-breaking 431,000 newcomers in 2022, mainly from India, the Philippines and China.
The country hopes to land 485,000 newcomers in 2024 and 500,000 in 2025. Canada has also welcomed a record number of international students, with those numbers continuing to rise.
Rental demand is unprecedented
“We are having unprecedented levels of demand that are met by very little vacancy,” says Jesse Greenwell, Head of Communications Culture and Inclusivity at Mainstreet Equity Corp., Canada’s leading real estate corporation on the TSX specializing in mid-market apartment buildings in Western Canada.
“Everything is so outpaced by the demand,” he said.
Newcomers urged to do research
What this means is that if you are a newcomer to Canada looking to rent, you need to do research BEFORE and AFTER arriving.
Canadian landlords won’t rent to you before you land, but knowing the rental landscape can help you more quickly find that first home.
And Rentals for Newcomers is a great place to research and find that rental.
Rentals for Newcomers information
In addition to hosting scores of rental listings from across Canada, Rentals for Newcomers also hosts invaluable information about:
The current, up-to-date rental prices in ALL of Canada’s major rental markets (for example, a one-bedroom apartment in Toronto rents for $2,501, while a one-bedroom in Saskatoon costs $1,063 monthly. That’s a difference of $1,438).
A comprehensive renter’s guide.
News stories on the latest trends in renting (and Canada’s dynamic housing market).
Links to the Monthly Housing Newsletter for Newcomers and International Students.
Tips from experts on how to deal with and impress Canadian landlords; how to avoid rental scams; how to rent without a credit history; how to save for a down payment to buy a home while renting, etc.
Expert advice on how finding accommodation and choosing a city to work in go hand-in-hand.
Tips and expert advice for international students about finding a rental (and when to start looking).
Advice on navigating Canada’s housing market from well-known Canadians such as Bob Dhillon, the founder of Mainstreet Equity Corp., and Farah Omran, Housing Economist for Scotiabank.
And so much more.
Rentals for Newcomers is an invaluable tool that will give you a head start in finding a rental, says Dave Frattini, managing partner of Prepare for Canada and Rentals for Newcomers.
Newcomers are urged to be prepared
“Vacancy rates in most cities across Canada are now hovering around 2 percent,” said Frattini, “meaning landlords have all the power in choosing the tenant they want. For newcomers, this means searching for accommodation in Canada is more difficult than ever.”
Frattini advises newcomers to prepare themselves by:
Understanding the type of accommodation that they’re looking for.
Understanding the reality of what rental prices genuinely are in the city where they plan to settle.
Having all their documents as they’re meeting potential landlords.
Frattini emphasizes that when newcomers they arrive for their meeting with the landlord, “they better be prepared. Landlords have the pick of the crop.”
“Rentals For Newcomers is a great example of a partner agency,” said Mainstreet’s Greenwell, which can help prepare newcomers and international students for Canada’s rental market.
Rental scammers target newcomers
Rentals for Newcomers also works diligently to ensure that scam listings are not on its site to protect newcomers and international students.
The RFN site is part of the Rentsync rental technology software network, which includes a landlord verification process.
Rental listings are verified
“Importantly, our listings are well managed,” said Frattini. “It’s both technologically and manually driven. Rentsync personnel know who the (landlords) are that are listing on Rentals for Newcomers.”
Frattini added that “We’re working diligently to educate our audience on scam alerts. Through Rentals for Newcomers’ blog posts, we’re constantly updating our audience about scams in the rental category.”
If you’re active on social media, you can also follow RFN on Twitter (@rentalsfornewc), Facebook (Rentals for Newcomers) and Instagram (rentalsfornewcomers) and LinkedIn (Rentals For Newcomers).
*No Chat GPT was used in the writing of this story, and all sources are cited and credited where possible
