One of the first and foremost things to consider prior to committing to a lease agreement or contract is the cost associated with it. Consider not only your monthly income, but incorporate your accumulated debt, anticipated cost of utilities, and any other living expenses such as food, furniture, transportation, and recreational activities. Determine how much debt you are comfortable with if it came down to it, how flexible you are with adapting to a different lifestyle if at all, and how much you would like to be able to put aside for savings.
If utilities are not included in the rental agreement, estimate the monthly cost of utilities such as heat, water, cable, and Internet before signing the contract. If utilities are included, ensure you are clear on what is included and what is not so that your monthly bills do not unpleasantly surprise you. Consider transportation costs - if you take public transit, sometimes the difference of just 5 minutes travel time could mean paying double fares due to regional boundaries (i.e. TTC and YRT services in the Greater Toronto Area).
Although cost is the principal factor, don’t settle for an area with higher crime rate just for the sake of saving a few dollars, it is not worth it. If moving to a cheaper location means three hours of commute to work, it is not worth it. If you have children and you are moving to a location with no parks, playgrounds, or schools within close proximity, it is probably not worth it either. Consider all of your necessities, luxuries, and sacrifices carefully. Saving $50 a month in rent may potentially mean paying $100 extra a month for something else.
Know Your Rights
Section 2 (1) of the Ontario Human Rights Code. Every person has a right to equal treatment with respect to the occupancy of accommodation, without discrimination because of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, family status, handicap or the receipt of public assistance.
There are questions that a landlord may ask as they pertain directly to finding a suitable tenant for their property. Here are some examples: the statistics of your income and the sources of it, numbers of occupants and their names, questions related to smoking or owning pets, request your approval to proceed with a credit check, request of references and their contact information, etcetera.
A landlord may not ask questions that infringe on your rights. Here are some examples of unacceptable questions: future plans regarding children (i.e. if you plan to have any/more), questions related to your ethnic background, religion, or sexual preference, questions about whether family will be visiting, marital status, etc. They may ask for your SIN number, but they cannot refuse to rent to you if you do not provide it.
The above examples serve only as a guideline to help you understand what types of questions from a landlord are acceptable and what types are questionable. The point is to know what you are getting into, and know it well. Know your rights, recite them out loud if you have to, and do as much research as possible in the field of renting prior to committing (compare it to dating before marriage!). It is important to understand, from a legal as well as a personal standpoint, both the conflicts and benefits associated with renting.
Written By: Sevinj Najafova, you may contact Sevinj via e-mail at snajafova@terrequity.com.
