What to keep in your mind when looking for a house for next year
Finding housing can be a daunting task for anyone, but especially for those people who are in first year and have never done it before. These are the 10 main things you want to focus on when you look for housing as a student, and maybe even later in life.
Location: If a place is too far from school or work, cross it off your list of potentials and move on.
House size: Decide who you want to live with before you start looking for houses so you only base your search on houses or apartments with the right number of bedrooms.
Rent amount: Rent averages about $550/month in Guelph. Be wary of anything too cheap and avoid anything too expensive or outside of your budget.
Utilities: Make sure you discuss whether or not utilities are included in the rent amount, which utilities are included, and what the average payment per month is for utilities if they aren’t included in the rent. The landlord will have all of this information.
Damages: Before you sign a lease, make sure you look at the actual house or apartment. When you do, look for any damages to the floor, walls, or any water damage. If there’s excessive damage move on. If not, let the landlord know and have them fix these damages before you move in. Also, know that a landlord is not allowed to charge a damage deposit, as they are illegal.
Bus routes: Most university students don’t have a car, so map out a bus route from your house to grocery stores, the school, and, if you have a job, then to work as well. If you have to make a transfer to get to school, you may want to look at other houses.
Furniture: Decide before you start looking if whether a place is furnished or not is a contributing factor. Then, base your search around that. Most places come unfurnished, so keep that in mind.
Read the lease: I can’t say this enough, but read the lease! Check it over, and bring it to someone who knows more about housing, to your parents, or a resource at the university. Have someone who knows something about leases look over the document before you sign anything.
Feelings: This one sounds silly, but it may be one of the most important steps. Check in with yourself and future roommates about how you feel about each house. If you feel uneasy, don’t rent. You’ll be living there for 12 months minimum, so you want to be somewhere you’re comfortable.
Make use of university services: The University of Guelph has many services to help students with their transition to off-campus living. There’s the Student Health and Advocacy Center (second floor of the UC), where you can get help with understanding leases, tenancy issues, and general information, as well as The Cannon, to find house listings. Off Campus Living in the UC to help you with any questions you may have about your transition from residence to off-campus, and Places4Students, a website you can use to find house listings, roommates, and sublets in Guelph.
Good luck everyone!