{"id":20604,"date":"2014-07-17T09:00:10","date_gmt":"2014-07-17T13:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/?p=20604"},"modified":"2014-07-15T14:45:38","modified_gmt":"2014-07-15T18:45:38","slug":"the-apartment-hunt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/2014\/07\/17\/the-apartment-hunt\/","title":{"rendered":"The Apartment Hunt"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_20605\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-20605\" style=\"width: 900px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/files\/2014\/07\/simshouse.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-20605\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/files\/2014\/07\/simshouse.jpg\" alt=\"If only finding an apartment in Toronto was as easy as building a house for your Sims! (via modthesims.info)\" width=\"900\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/files\/2014\/07\/simshouse.jpg 900w, https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/files\/2014\/07\/simshouse-300x227.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/files\/2014\/07\/simshouse-395x300.jpg 395w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-20605\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">If only finding an apartment in Toronto was as easy as building a house for your Sims! (via modthesims.info)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\nI think that one of the scariest, most adult-like things I have ever done is find an off-campus apartment. I loved living in residence for my first two years, but all I had to do to get my pre-furnished room was sign up and pay the bill. Venturing out into the competitive waters of Toronto\u2019s housing market was terrifying at first, but was ultimately so rewarding once I realized I could handle more independence than ever before.\r\n\r\nAnd it\u2019s that time of year again: you should start your search anywhere between 2 weeks and 2 months before your desired move-in date. For September, that\u2019s now!\r\n\r\n<figure id=\"attachment_20609\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-20609\" style=\"width: 180px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/files\/2014\/07\/House-Logo-Recoloured.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-20609 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/files\/2014\/07\/House-Logo-Recoloured.gif\" alt=\"(via housing.utoronto.ca)\" width=\"180\" height=\"180\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-20609\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">(via housing.utoronto.ca)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n<b>So you\u2019re looking to move off-campus, but don\u2019t know where to start? <\/b>Whether you\u2019ve got some friends together or need to find roommates, <a href=\"http:\/\/housing.utoronto.ca\/\" target=\"_blank\">Housing Services<\/a> at U of T has some great services and resources to help you out!\r\n\r\nIf you\u2019ve never embarked on an apartment hunt before, you should consider attending the <a href=\"http:\/\/housing.utoronto.ca\/events.htm\" target=\"_blank\">Explore Off-Campus Housing workshop<\/a> offered by Housing Services. It\u2019s running on a number of days throughout the summer, and should be a great introduction to important topics. You can also learn more with\u00a0their useful and thorough <a href=\"http:\/\/housing.utoronto.ca\/Resources.htm\" target=\"_blank\">Resources<\/a> section.\r\n\r\nHere are the common steps of the process:\r\n\r\n1. <b>Do you need to find roommates<\/b>? Create a profile on U of T\u2019s <a href=\"http:\/\/www.housing.utoronto.ca\/student\/roommatelogin.aspx?tr=\" target=\"_blank\">Roommate Finder<\/a> or pay attention to ads looking to fill one bedroom of a multi-bedroom apartment.\r\n\r\n2. F<b>ind some apartments<\/b>! Check out U of T\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.housing.utoronto.ca\/student\/login.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">Housing Finder<\/a>. Tell it what you\u2019re looking for (how many bedrooms, price, etc.) and browse through the listings. You\u2019ll find some great stuff in here, but widen your search too. Check <a href=\"http:\/\/toronto.en.craigslist.ca\/apa\/\" target=\"_blank\">Craigslist<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.padmapper.com\/search\/apartments\/Ontario\/toronto\/\" target=\"_blank\">Padmapper<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.viewit.ca\/\" target=\"_blank\">ViewIt<\/a> for more listings. And don\u2019t forget good old word-of-mouth! Ask your (Facebook) friends if they are planning on moving out or know of any places that might not have ads listed.\r\n\r\n<figure id=\"attachment_20607\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-20607\" style=\"width: 855px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/files\/2014\/07\/housefinder.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-20607\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/files\/2014\/07\/housefinder.jpg\" alt=\"Some results from the Housing Finder. Look at how many apartments there are near campus! (via housing.utoronto.ca)\" width=\"855\" height=\"657\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/files\/2014\/07\/housefinder.jpg 855w, https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/files\/2014\/07\/housefinder-300x230.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/files\/2014\/07\/housefinder-390x300.jpg 390w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 855px) 100vw, 855px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-20607\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Some results from the Housing Finder. Look at how many apartments there are near campus! (via housing.utoronto.ca)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n3. <b>Set up some viewings<\/b>! Call the number on the ad and let the landlord know you\u2019re interested in coming to see their place. The Toronto housing market moves fast, so try and choose a date and time as soon as possible, though it\u2019s best if all of the people you are moving in with can go so you can make a decision together. Don\u2019t be afraid to go see apartments without pictures in their ads - I got my first 4-bedroom apartment right next to campus because many people didn\u2019t bother to go and see it based on its picture-less ad!\r\n\r\n4. <strong>Visit<\/strong><b>\u00a0the apartment<\/b>! Bring a copy of <a href=\"http:\/\/housing.utoronto.ca\/Resources\/inspection-checklist.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">this checklist<\/a> from Housing Services to help you know what to look for. Ask the landlord lots of questions!\r\n\r\n<figure id=\"attachment_20611\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-20611\" style=\"width: 320px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/files\/2014\/07\/party-cat.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-20611 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/files\/2014\/07\/party-cat.jpg\" alt=\"You walking into your new apartment. Congrats! (via cuteanimalpicturesandvideos.com)\" width=\"320\" height=\"320\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/files\/2014\/07\/party-cat.jpg 320w, https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/files\/2014\/07\/party-cat-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/files\/2014\/07\/party-cat-300x300.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-20611\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">You walking into your new apartment. Congrats! (via cuteanimalpicturesandvideos.com)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n5. <b>Make it yours<\/b>! If you want the place, you\u2019ll probably have to submit an application. Bring your cheque book to every apartment you visit so you can apply on the spot if you want to. A lesson I learned the hard way is to keep looking at other apartments until you hear back about whether your application was successful; you don\u2019t want to put all of your eggs in one basket!\r\n\r\n<i>Good luck out there, U of T! It will all be so worth it when you settle in to your new apartment. Share your tips for finding off-campus housing in the comments.<\/i>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-summary\">\n<div class=\"entry-summary\">\nI think that one of the scariest, most adult-like things I have ever done is find an off-campus apartment. I loved living in residence for my first two years, but all I had to do to get my pre-furnished room&hellip;\n<\/div><div class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/2014\/07\/17\/the-apartment-hunt\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &ldquo;The Apartment Hunt&rdquo;<\/span>&hellip;<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div><div class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/2014\/07\/17\/the-apartment-hunt\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &ldquo;The Apartment Hunt&rdquo;<\/span>&hellip;<\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"author":221,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20604"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/221"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20604"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20604\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20622,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20604\/revisions\/20622"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20604"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20604"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20604"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}