Finding cheap temporary housing is a critical initial step in the process of settling down for immigrants arriving in Canada either as students, permanent residents, or business entrepreneurs.
On your arrival, you need apartment rentals, houses for rent, or flats for rent where you can live after a hectic schedule.
While Airbnb is a popular choice, several other options can provide cost-effective solutions for your temporary housing needs. Temporary rentals can be found on platforms such as Airbnb, HomeAway, VRBO, TripAdvisor, Homestay, and Booking.
Short-term lease apartments are frequently furnished and much easier to find.
If you still need to wait for your delivered items to arrive and/or want to take your time finding the ideal permanent housing for your needs, you may want to choose this option.
In this comprehensive article, we will explore some of the most viable options available, ensuring you have all the information you need to make an informed decision.
Where to Get Affordable Housing in Canada as an Immigrant
Here are some options to consider when getting temporary housing in Canada as an immigrant, aside from Airbnb.
1. Kijiji.ca
Kijiji is one of the best websites for real estate listings in Canada and is available in over 300 cities in Canada. Founded in 2005, the rental site is a subsidiary of eBay.
The site offers a wide variety of rental types, including apartments, houses, condos, basement suites, and shared accommodations.
Users can filter listings based on their preferences, such as location, price range, and property type. On the website, you can filter the apartments based on location, offer type, featured ads, price range, ads with video or images, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, furnished or unfurnished, and whether pets are allowed or not.
Estimated Price of Housing on Kijiji
The cost of rent on the Kijiji website differs considerably depending on the location, type of property, and other factors. In big cities like Toronto and Ottawa, the rent prices are considerably higher compared to cities like Edmonton, Vancouver, Hamilton, and Montreal.
To get the best housing deal, visit the Kijiji website and use the filter on the website to get affordable housing as an immigrant in Canada.
2. Zillow
Zillow is another popular platform where you can rent an affordable apartment in Canada as an immigrant. The website has a great portfolio of rental listings from all over Canada.
Founded in 2006, the real estate website has a wide presence in the United States and Canada. It offers various rental types, including apartments, houses, condos, and townhouses.
With Zillow, you can find cheap apartments by filtering the listings based on your preferred location, property type, home type, number of beds and baths, move-in date, and even your minimum and maximum rent.
Estimated Price of Housing on Zillow
The cost of rent on the Zillow website differs considerably depending on the location, type of property, and other factors. Just like on every platform, rents are considerably higher in bigger cities compared to smaller cities.
To get the best housing deal, visit the Zillow website and use the filter on the website to get affordable housing as an immigrant in Canada.
3. Zumper
Zumper is another rental listing platform where you can find affordable housing in Canada. Founded in 2012, Zumper is the largest privately owned rental platform in North America.
The website has a user-friendly interface that helps tenants and landlords streamline every stage of the rental process, including tenant screening, rent payment, and collection.
On the website, you can filter the apartments based on location, deals, price range, rating, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, furnished or unfurnished, and whether pets are allowed or not.
Estimated Price of Housing on Zumper
Just like every other real estate listing website, the cost of rent on the Zumper differs considerably depending on the location, type of property, and other factors. In big cities like Toronto and Ottawa, the rent prices are considerably higher compared to cities like Edmonton, Vancouver, Hamilton, and Montreal.
To get the best housing deal, visit the Zumper website and use the filter on the website to get affordable housing as an immigrant in Canada.
4. Facebook Marketplace
Introduced in 2016, Facebook Marketplace is one of the best places to find affordable apartments in Canada. Although Facebook Marketplace’s listings are user-generated, the number of rental listings can vary significantly by location, area, or city.
The platform hosts listings for apartments, basements, houses, townhomes, shared rentals, and other accommodations.
To use Facebook Marketplace, simply type your preferred location, choose the local radius, and click Apply to show you the properties within a specific distance. Thereafter, type “house for rent” or “apartment for rent.”
The next screen will display results for “house for rent” with details including price, beds, baths, latest photos, exact location, and nearby amenities.
Estimated Price of Housing on Facebook Marketplace
Just like every other real estate listing website, the cost of rent on Facebook Marketplace differs considerably depending on the location, type of property, and other factors. In big cities like Toronto and Ottawa, the rent prices are considerably higher compared to cities like Edmonton, Vancouver, Hamilton, and Montreal.
To get the best housing deal, visit Facebook Marketplace and use the filter on the website to get affordable housing as an immigrant in Canada.
5. 4rent.ca
Established in 2010, 4rent is one of the best websites to search for affordable apartments in Canada for immigrants. Their rental options include apartments, houses, condos, and shared spaces.
To maximize this real estate listing website, start by filtering the apartments based on location, deals, price range, rating, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, furnished or unfurnished, and whether pets are allowed or not.
Estimated Price of Housing on 4rent
The cost of rent on the 4rent website differs considerably depending on the location, type of property, and other factors. Just like on every platform, rents are considerably higher in bigger cities compared to smaller cities.
To get the best housing deal, visit the 4rent website and use the filter on the website to get affordable housing as an immigrant in Canada.
6. Rentfaster.ca
Rentfaster is another good rental listing website in Canada for tenants and landlords. Established in 2003, the company has listings all over Canada.
The website features numerous rental listings, primarily in Western Canada. The number of listings also depends on the particular location or area you are searching for.
On the website, you can filter the property listings to get a better deal, depending on your preference.
Estimated Price of Housing on Rentfaster.ca
Just like every other real estate listing website, the cost of rent on Rentfaster.ca differs considerably depending on the location, type of property, and other factors. In big cities like Toronto and Ottawa, the rent prices are considerably higher compared to cities like Edmonton, Vancouver, Hamilton, and Montreal.
To get the best housing deal, visit Rentfaster.ca and use the filter on the website to get affordable housing as an immigrant in Canada.
How to Get a Lease in Canada
When getting longer-term accommodation in Canada, landlords will usually request information about your ability to pay rent before offering you a lease. Documents that may be requested include:
- A letter from your current, or most recent, employer that indicates your annual income.
- Bank statement(s) that show you have enough savings to cover rent for a few months.
- References from previous landlords.
Many landlords will prefer Canadian documentation, which can be cumbersome or impossible for new arrivals. However, there are landlords out there who are willing to rent their houses and apartments for rent in Canada to newcomers, so if you don’t succeed at first, keep trying.
Things To Know When Looking for Accommodation in Canada
1. Rentals in Canada tend to start on the 1st of every month, with a smaller number becoming available on the 15th of every month. Plan your trip with this in mind, as you want to ensure you have a good range of options. Arriving around two weeks before the month’s end is advisable, as you get ample time to learn about your surroundings and find suitable houses or apartments for rent in Canada.
2. Most houses and apartments for rent in Canada require at least half a month’s rent as a security deposit.
3. Rental accommodation in Canada often comes furnished, so always ask before a viewing. Furnishing a place can take time. The best time to get really good deals on furniture is towards the end of the month, as people are moving and will often sell their possessions at knock-down prices.
4. Know your rights as a tenant. Become familiar with tenancy law in the province you plan on moving to.
5. Unfortunately, there are online scams that attempt to dupe people into paying deposits on properties that don’t exist. Beware of bogus ads when searching for accommodation in Canada.
Cost of Rent in Canada
Canada is a big country with a high standard of living, so the cost of renting an apartment in Canada can be high, especially for new immigrants.
However, the cost of renting in Canada’s most popular cities can vary significantly. For instance, a one-bedroom apartment in Edmonton would cost about $1,300 a month, but in Vancouver, it may rise to $2,700 for a one-bedroom apartment in the city.
The same applies to other big cities like Toronto, British Columbia, and Ottawa.
The Most Affordable Places to Live in Canada
Montreal is the most affordable big city in Canada to rent. The average price of a month’s rent in Canada’s second-largest city is cheaper and can be much less if you are sharing accommodation. This compares favorably with other large Canadian cities. Other cities in Quebec, such as Quebec City and Gatineau, are even more affordable when it comes to rent.
Places like Ottawa and Toronto are home to Canada’s most expensive cities for renting. New immigrants seeking more affordable rentals should look towards smaller cities in Ontario and Quebec.
