Apartment Hunting and Apartment Rental Procedure in Winnipeg

Now that I moved in to my apartment 3 months ago, I thought of posting my apartment hunting/rental application experience to give the aspiring and new immigrants an idea on how it goes. We all know that you'll be staying with your relatives or friends on your first few months in Canada but let's admit as well that you can't stay with them forever.  I started looking for an apartment on my 6th month here and took me 2 months to finally found an apartment with "this is it" feeling.

Apartment hunting is fun, just make sure that you're doing it on a Summer because it will be easier to go to places without the rain/snow.  The best way to find an apartment is online, specifically KIJIJI.  There were 7 apartments that I visited and found all of them through that website.  Here are the things that I considered in looking for an apartment:

>Rent price
This plays a big role of course.  I set a budget according to my income and expenses.  I wanted to have all the utilities included in the rent, however upon hunting, I found out that it ranges from CAD800 and up for a 1 bedroom apartment (well, it depends on the location of course).  Here in Winnipeg, apartments in the North End is waaay cheaper than the other ends.

>Location
I preferred a location where is accessible by bus (because I don't have a car yet) and nearby my work.

>Laundry On Site
Well, believe it or not, there are apartment buildings that do not have their own laundry room and it's such a hassle if you're going out to wash your clothes especially on a winter.

>Parking
I'll get a car eventually and I considered this too.  Not all the apartment buildings have their own parking.  Oh by the way, you'll pay extra for parking spot. :D

>Caretaker
Yes!  This is one of the things I considered.  I'll live in an apartment for a while and I want an approachable and accommodating caretaker. :)

Photo from Google

So I found the apartment that met my expectations.  Since I am a new immigrant and no rental history,  I can only submit my application to rent if I have a guarantor.  Though there are Landlords that accept application without a guarantor but most of them don't.  The caretaker asked me to submit the following:

>Damage Deposit
This is 1/2 of the monthly rent.  I gave this to process my application.  My caretaker doesn't accept cash and only accepts cheque or money order.  If in case that the application isn't approved, they will return the damage deposit.

>Filled-out application form of the tenant and guarantor

>Proof of Income of tenant and guarantor
I submitted my employment certificate, 3 months pay stub as well as my guarantor's.  I also provided a bank statement (optional) hoping that it expedites the process which it did. LOL

My caretaker submitted it to their office and I received a call from him 3 days after, telling me that I got approved.  He required me to pay the 1 month deposit, sign the lease contract and provide a void cheque because I opted to have the monthly rent deducted from my chequing account.

Also, during my apartment hunting, I learned some things that I want to share with you. There is so called SUBLET wherein you will finish the contract of the current tenant who will vacate the apartment before the contract expires.  In this case, the tenant will show you the apartment and if you're interested, the tenant has the application form to sublet and he will submit it to the caretaker.

I also learned that "some" caretakers only allow 2 persons in a 1 bedroom apartment.  So if you are a family of 3, whether the 3rd person is still a baby, they will require you to rent a 2-bedroom apartment.  Thank God my caretaker isn't strict and he is really the BEST!

I hope this post will help you in your apartment hunting in Winnipeg. :)