To find apartments in Canada, you can start with Realtor.ca and Centris.ca or FB groups like Vancouver | Places For Rent .
Many sources are available to find an apartment or room in Canada. It could be a website, a Facebook group, or a classified ad. You can also walk and look for nameplates at homes or agencies. You can also talk to people. Someone might know someone.
How to rent an apartment in Canada is similar whether you are a resident or a new foreigner to Canada. Less than half of Canada’s population does not own their own place of residence. Renting is very common in Canada.
Try to contact the property owner or manager directly. If you use an agent, determine how much you should pay them. Agents sometimes want you to pay a month’s rent just because they show you an apartment or they add a percentage of money to your deposit that they keep. You also want to avoid scammers. You want to find an honest owner or an honest agency. So do as much research as possible on the person you are dealing with.
Baidu ,  Google ,  Naver ,  Sogou ,  Yandex , or other search engines can be a good start for looking for an apartment or house. Explore listings by searching for “Apartments for rent in Toronto” or “Houses for sale in Vancouver” to narrow down your options effectively.
Steps to get an apartment in Canada
You will want to follow these steps to find accommodation in Canada,
- Determine your budget.
- Search for apartments in person or online. Check some real estate websites.
- Find your ideal environment.
- Decide if you want to share accommodation with someone.
- Decide whether you want a furnished or unfurnished apartment or house.
- Sign a contract. You may need a formal contract.
How hard it is to find an apartment in Canada
If you’re in Canada, you can visit the location in person, but online viewing is also possible. It may be easier for the landlord if you speak English. Otherwise, you can get by with some basic English over text. Or in another language used by your agent or landlord.
Can you buy it
Consider your income and what you can afford. Apartments in Luxembourg can be expensive, but you can find affordable accommodation if you look long enough.
Your housing costs should not be more than a third of your income. Rent or mortgage can be half your income for a short time. Anything more than that is not sustainable, especially if you have someone to care for.
You may not need a job for hire. But landlords want to make sure you can afford the rent.
You may need to provide more documentation if you are unemployed. If you are a student, your university or college can guide you in terms of accommodation.
Think about free housing options.
Support for families who cannot find acceptable housing on the housing market is the goal of social housing assistance in Canada.
What accommodation do you need? And where
Think about what you need and where.
Are you looking for accommodation in the city, suburbs or countryside?
Do you need a lot of space? Do you want to share accommodation or do you want to live alone?
Is your place close to public transportation? Do you need a car?
How expensive is it to get around from home to work, school, food stores, entertainment venues, or just parks?
You get lots of options:
- bed in shared room;
- one room in a shared house or apartment;
- studio apartment;
- furnished or unfurnished apartment or house.
What documents do you need
Which documents you need depend on who you are negotiating with. Renting and/or buying accommodation can also be an agreement between individuals. Therefore sometimes you need a lot of documents, and other times you can agree on a conversation via text.
For example, to rent an apartment, house or room in Canada, you may need to present one or more of the following documents:
- A formal offer letter that includes payment information
- Information from credit reports
- Proof of reference (from a past owner, for example)
- Account Statement
- ID will be photocopied
You may not need to show anything. It depends on your agreement with the accommodation owner or manager.
You need more paperwork and pay taxes on the transaction to buy a place. But sometimes it’s easy, for example if you find a house at auction.
How much do apartments cost in Canada
Canadian apartment rental costs vary by location and type.
Big cities like Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal are usually more expensive, while smaller cities and rural areas are more affordable.
One bedroom in the city center and outside is CAD 1,700-1,500/mo, for three bedrooms in the city and outside it ranges from CAD 2,700-2,500/mo.
Buying a house in Canada can cost from 9,000 CAD per square meter to over 6,500 Euros per square meter.
A room should be about 15 square meters or more, a studio apartment should be about 50 square meters, and an entire apartment or house should be more than 80 square meters.
Ten Canadian dollars equate to approximately eight US dollars, 600 Indian rupees, or 54 Chinese yuan.
