RENT: Not the Musical

School is almost over!  It doesn't seem like that because we haven't started exams yet, but classes are done next week. For people who don't have any exams... I hate you with the passion of a thousand burning suns. 🙁 Back to the topic at hand - what does the end of the school year mean? Well, it means making plans. Api discussed some of her plans last week - things like summer employment, summer school, and of course binge-watching TV. 10/10 list from Api - would read again. However, another important thing you should be planning right about now is where you're going to be living next year.   If you are handsomely well-off, please exit this post and ask your parents if they can just let you live in their vacation condo on Bay Street. I'm completely kidding of course. Anyways, back to us regular folks who have to plan to live somewhere. Living off-campus can be an awesome, and often life-defining experience during your undergrad. This is the adulthood everyone keeps talking about. You'll have to deal with a plethora of new situations, such as signing and paying for a lease, buying your own food, and paying for your internet. Most importantly, you will have to do your own laundry. So, here a few things you should consider doing while you're studying for exams:

1. Decide when you want to move in. Leases around the campus most often start either in May or August. Most of the time these leases start in either the beginning of May or the beginning of September. If you plan on living in Toronto in the summer, it's definitely your best bet to start a lease in May. If you start a lease in September, make sure to ask your landlord about their stipulations on subletting. Subletting is always a great option if you want to move to another place early, or if you just want to save money living at home for the summer.
2. Decide who you want to live with. If you aren't the Princess of Genovia, chances are you will have to live with at least one roommate to subsidize downtown Toronto's absurdly high rent. Who you live with is incredibly important. Find people who you can depend on, and who share your vision in rent and space. From my personal experience, if you want to live with a very close friend try and find other roommates to live along with you. You might imagine that living with your best friend in the big city may read like an episode of Friends, but trust me when I say that it can quickly become a Jerry Springer episode. Unless you're the type of friends who have a blood pact, small spaces can often breed passive aggression.
3. Read, learn, and breathe the Ontario Residential Tenancies Act. Always know your rights before making a expensive commitment.

   

These are just a few things you should be thinking about while you're stressing for exams! If you are finishing exams early, always remember - the earlier the better. There are a bunch of helpful tools to help you get started like the university's Housing Services and PadMapper. Have fun and good luck!