What to Look For When You’re Looking For Housing

Location

Balancing affordability and location is a difficult task, but there are a few questions you can ask to help make the right choice.

• Is the property near grocery stores, pharmacies, and other essential services?
• Is the property close to campus? If it’s on a bus route, how long does the trip take, and how many transfers does it need?
• If it’s important to your decision, how walkable is your neighborhood? Websites like walkscore.com can provide this information at a glance.

Heads up! Housing further from campus tends to be more affordable but may mean a long commute or lack of public transit.

Property Basics

Rental rates often vary widely based on location, condition, amenities, and utility inclusions. When comparing rental rates, consider the following in addition to location:

• What is your budget?
• What type of housing would you prefer to live in? Do you prefer living alone or with others? Do you prefer living in a house or apartment complex?
• What furnishings are included, and what do you need to bring?

If utilities such as electricity, internet, and hearting aren’t included in your rent, make sure you calculate your total living costs when comparing apartments.

Transportation

Consider your commuting needs and access to campus. Is the accommodation suitable for your preferred transportation mode? How often do you need to be on campus? A long commute may be easier to manage if you only have to go in three times a week. Some other questions you should ask yourself are:

• If you are using public transit, is the property close to bus routes?
• If you own a car, is parking available either on-campus or off-campus?
• Is there bike storage available if you need it?

If you’re on the hunt for parking, consider posting a wanted ad on platforms like Kijiji or Facebook Marketplace. You can sometimes find parking spots available to rent from private landowners.

Utilities

Utilities are any services you consume that are not specifically your rent payments. They may be included as part of your rent, but are technically for separate services. Common utilities include:

• Electricity, for general use, heating, or hot water, or any combination of the three.
• Heating oil or natural gas
• Internet, cable television, or landline service
• Municipal/”cold” water

With this in mind, there are several important questions to ask when searching for a place to live:

• Which utilities are included in your rent?
• How is the property heated? Who controls the thermostat?
• Is there laundry in the unit, or is there communal laundry on the property? Is payment required to use the laundry facilities?
• If you are renting a house with a lawn or private driveway, make sure you understand who is responsible for snow removal and lawn maintenance. This should be noted in your lease.

Heads up! Most rentals in Nova Scotia use electric heat or hot-water radiators. Electric heat is efficient and more comfortable, but can be expensive if you are responsible for electricity costs. If you have time, consider asking for the previous tenant’s power-usage history to estimate your costs.