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Many newcomers rent an apartment, house or
condominium as their first permanent home in Ontario.
When you rent, you become a tenant. The person or
company owning the rental property is the landlord. You
have to pay rent to your landlord. Tenants and landlords
both have rights and responsibilities. These are usually
outlined in a lease, a written agreement between you
and your landlord. Rental agreements are typically for
one year, although month-to-month agreements may
be available.
Ontario Day to Day
Workbook 2010
20
RENTING A HOME
• The law in Ontario states that everyone must have a working
smoke alarm mounted on the ceiling outside every sleeping area.
If you live in a multi-storey house, you should have a smoke alarm
on every floor. It is against the law to disable a smoke alarm.
• If you are renting a home, your landlord must provide you with a
working smoke alarm.
• If you own a home, you must provide a working smoke alarm.
Smoke alarms are sold in most hardware stores.
DID YOU KNOW?
EXERCISE
Use these questions as your checklist when exploring housing options. Some of the questions may not apply to you. Feel free
to add other questions that are important for you.
• What is the total monthly cost?
• How far will I need to travel to work?
• Is this home located near a bus stop or subway station?
• Is this home close to a school?
• Is there a place to park a car? Do I have to pay extra for parking?
• Is the neighbourhood safe?
• Will I have to pay extra for utilities, such as electricity, water and gas?
• Is the apartment building or neighbourhood quiet?
• How close is this home to stores, laundromats, parks, playgrounds, community centres,
recreation facilities, medical clinics, places of worship, and other services?
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Housing Checklist
Subsidized housing refers to housing where rent is based on the tenant’s income and not size or type of accommo-
dation. Subsidized housing is intended for people with low incomes. Most cities in Ontario offer subsidized housing,
although because of demand most have waiting lists. If interested in such accommodation you will need to complete
an application and check if you are eligible. For more information, speak to your local immigrant-serving agency.
SUBSIDIZED HOUSING
You may choose to buy a house, condominium or
townhouse when you arrive in Ontario. Most people
need financial help to do this and have to borrow
money from a bank or another financial institution.
Before buying a house, it is important to understand
all the costs of owning a home. These costs include
taxes, utilities, homeowner insurance, maintenance
and other expenses.
BUYING A HOME