Home at Last?

The joys of living with your landlord…NOT!

Have you ever thought how challenging the student life can be when you live away from home? Don’t do anything drastic and consider if you want to live with the landlord or rent from them. In my short experience living in Toronto, by myself I have encountered how difficult it is to live with your property-owner! I do recommend that before moving in with a home owner; gather information from previous students that have lived with them.

One of the disadvantages of living with the landlord is the age difference! Younger people have different views, and expertise than elderly folks. When you are in your mid-twenties, you are learning from your own experiences and you want to discover the world on your own. By living under some body’s else rules, it gets frustrating especially when your landlord hovers over you. As my personal experience, I have had to accept rules that I disagree with. Your landlord needs to understand that by being a student you need to keep your activities private, and you cannot dedicate too much time on household chores.

Before accepting an agreement;

ü Make sure to have a contract signed by the landlord and have a witness.

ü Do not rent without a contract

ü Know what the rent includes, e.g. heating, cable or internet

ü Take pictures of the property, before you establish yourself in

My landlord could literally come to me tomorrow and tell me she wants me out, without notice! This could create problems with your school work, since you are not going to be able to focus on your studies, the way a student is supposed to.

To avoid problems like this;

ü Look for a place long before you start school

ü Find somewhere close to school

ü Look at the apartment ads from school

ü Get familiar with the area where you are going to live in

ü Most definitely do not live under the same roof as your landlord!