Off-campus Housing

When searching online for a new home, it is important to be aware of potential rental scams. Before you begin your search, take the time to review important resources and search with caution. When you begin:

• Ensure that the rental price advertised matches the current average rental costs.
• Verify that the address exists and can be found on a map.
• Exercise caution when giving out your personal information. Familiarize yourself with what information a landlord is legally entitled to ask for. (Verifiable income and employment is an example of what they may ask for). Personal information that is collected from a tenant application is governed and protected by privacy laws.
• Do not sign any rental agreements or send over any payments until you have gone and viewed the property in-person. If possible, attend the viewing with a friend or family member.
• Exercise caution for potential landlords that are requesting cash for security deposits.
• Carefully review the terms and conditions of your tenancy agreement, ensure that the tenancy agreement outlines all the important information. Ask questions!

The RCMP provides helpful tips to keep in mind when searching for off-campus housing. The Vancouver Police Department provides preventative measures to avoid fraud.

To prepare yourself for living off-campus, it is important to be aware of your tenant rights.

• Learn about starting and ending a lease, dispute resolution, and fraud prevention from the Tenant Resource and Advisory Centre.
• Learn your rights and responsibilities by reviewing the Residential Tenancies guide.
• Take the Renting It Right course to learn your rights as a B.C. tenant.

Knowledge is key! Before signing a tenancy agreement, it is important to familiarize yourself with important terms, and the details of your contract. What is a tenancy agreement? It is a legally binding written contract between a landlord and a tenant that details the length of the contract, rent payment and the rights of both the tenant and the landlord. There are two types of tenancies:

Month-to-Month Contract: Is a tenancy agreement with no end date, the contract renews on a monthly basis until a notice has been given to end the tenancy agreement by either the tenant or the landlord. To end your tenancy agreement, a tenant must provide written notice one month before the anticipated move out date.

Fixed Contract: Is a tenancy agreement with a fixed end date, most contracts will start with a 1-year fixed agreement. The agreement provides less flexibility as the agreement cannot be terminated without the possible loss of the security deposit, unless specific exceptions have been listed in the addendum section of the agreement or a mutual agreement has been reached.

It is important to have a clear conversation on what the rent covers, and if there will be additional costs for utilities and if you are responsible for setting up your own Wi-Fi.

Ensure that you request a copy of the agreement for your personal records.

Upon signing the tenancy agreement, a refundable security deposit is required. In British Columbia, a landlord is entitled to collect half of one month’s rent. The deposit is due within 30 days of signing the tenancy agreement. The deposit is held by the landlord until the end of the tenancy agreement, and is given back once the landlord has determined no damage has been done to the property that is beyond normal wear and tear. The government of B.C. provides more information about the possible additional fees associated with tenancy agreements. It is important to complete an inspection of the rental unit before moving in and after moving out to ensure that any existing or possible new damage is documented.

Cost of Living

The cost of living in different neighbourhoods can vary throughout the Greater Vancouver Area. It may be valuable to calculate the average costs for rent, groceries, and transportation before committing to an off-campus opportunity.

• For the most up to date average rental costs, check out the CMHC Rental Market Survey Data Tables.

Types of Housing

When looking for a new place to live, there are various types of housing that may work best for you:

• Apartments are self-contained housing units within a larger building, with the option of sharing the space with another roommate or renting the entire place.
• Basement suites are separate dwellings within a house, that are located on the ground level. Basement suites can provide more privacy and can be rented alone or shared with roommates.
• Houses are a single unit residential buildings where several people can live. Typically you would rent a room in the house, and share the common area with roommates.
• Laneway homes are smaller homes that are found in the backyard of a house and face the back lane.