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[navinball]

Which makes me wonder, how do international students get housing when they don't have jobs or a credit history?

They live 20 to a room.

 

[Deleted member 994371]

Which makes me wonder, how do international students get housing when they don't have jobs or a credit history?

They don't. They share a room with 2 other immigrants in the same room. A private bathroom is considered a luxuy in the 2nd largest country in the world.

 

[GandiBaat]

Which makes me wonder, how do international students get housing when they don't have jobs or a credit history?

My wife has access to university housing assistance. Most international student before even coming to canada look for options for housing via that early on. Some of them live in hall of residence in university, some of them are placed in nearby private rental based housing options -- which are basically what @navinball said. Some landlords explictly advertise their suites for students and do not require much of checking. They DO expect you to be enrolled in a university. Some of them are very sketchy in the sense they do not even sign rental agreements with international students and take rent in cash.

If you are studying with Lambda university its most the later I guess.

 

[ImpatientDragon]

They live 20 to a room.

Ofcourse you would be the one to know.

 

[navinball]

Ofcourse you would be the one to know.

I only allow 6 per room in my house for safety and keep up with the city's fire hazard code.

 

[RSub]

Instead of a AirBnb, try booking a hostel through booking.com. You only have to pay when you check-in, and you can cancel like 3 days before arriving. You may want to book one in advance because the best ones get booked 15 days ahead.

You can book multiple hostels (in 2 weeks duration) so that if you find a room (let's be honest here, you ain't renting a entire basement or house), you can just cancel your booking and save all the money.

Hostel rooms work too. But, if you book for long term (at least 30 days) in Airbnb, you get a pretty good discount price.

 

[RSub]

@mushymush I see lot of folks here are don't suggest AirBnb. But, I would suggest Airbnb as first choice if you are coming to Canada or US. I have used Airbnb extensively in the last 6 years or so. I make sure I read the reviews and I only book if I see more than 10 or so reviews. The hosts care about reviews. I am not sure if AirBnb is being used extensively in India and other parts of Asia, but I see them as the most the cost effective ones (If you book for minimum a month). I get a kitchen, so I cook my meals. Utilities paid. Feels like home.

 

[ImpatientDragon]

I only allow 6 per room in my house for safety and keep up with the city's fire hazard code.

Ok

 

[GandiBaat]

Just to add few things :

1. Do not share CoPR with LL. It has too much info and it is a very critical piece of your status. Instead get a DL or a Provincial Card or Service Card with photo. In BC ICBC gives this BCID which fulfills this purpose. Basically it a canadian picture identity. Your immigration status in Canada is not a concern of landlord. I personally have changed houses 3 times and I never gave my immigration documents to anyone. Just the identity documents.

2. Now another issue you may face is no land lord reference from past. To be honest, I never brought it up or mentioned first time renter and no one bothered.

3. Look for rental buildings or rental companies (we also call them slumlords lovingly) and they have a fixed format without emotional landlords.

 

[RSub]

Just to add few things :
2. Now another issue you may face is no land lord reference from past. To be honest, I never brought it up or mentioned first time renter and no one bothered.

3. Look for rental buildings or rental companies (we also call them slumlords lovingly) and they have a fixed format without emotional landlords.

1. Good to know. I haven’t given anyone so far.
2. Landlords were okay with no reference as long as I have employment verification. I do have a friend who is able to give local reference. Apartment compexes didn’t care too when I mentioned that I am a newcomer. But, I was asked to provide the last residence and landlord details but they said they won’t check as I am a newcomer.
3. True.!!!!

 

[Deleted member 1083629]

I couldn't care less about the credit score of your friends,

You obviously couldn't care less about understanding what is the credit score and what you need it for. Credit score does not define your mortgage amount; the certain threshold defines whether you get a mortgage and the score determines your interest rate. Now, how much mortgage you get depends on your household income.

Now, let's go to https://www.cibc.com/en/personal-banking/mortgages/calculators/affordability-calculator.html and plug in numbers. I plugged in 150K with 50K downpayment and I got ... 560,727 as max. purchasing at 25 years max. Let's add roughly 40K and make it 600K. Let's go to condos and see what's up. Tada!!! Nothing decent in downtown Toronto. Sure, we have 1 BDR or Studio but most of us are married. So we need at least 2 BDR. Outside of Toronto? Oh yeah, possible to find something. But here is beauty. Step outside of Downtown and you need a car to move around. Which adds another couple of bucks a month as insurance for first timers in Canada is ooofffff.

Here is the reality. But what do I and my friends know about this.

 

[Deleted member 1083629]

To the people who moved to Canada recently, is it worth it to try and find housing before moving? Or am I basically forced to move and get an Airbnb while I try to find housing? Also, if I don't secure a job before moving, how do I navigate not having a credit dscore or payslips in the country?

@RSub @GandiBaat and anyone else who has an idea.

Hmm... So, as a newcomer you have a credit score already. It's not 0 as you start somewhere. If you want to know where you start, get a credit card at any bank and ask them to give you a credit score. You are eligible for 1 free a year. If they refuse, then get one from equifax.

If you don't have a job, it becomes much harder. Credit score and the rest can be bypassed but not having a job is a tough one. Your best bet is to keep contacting landlords and sooner and later you might get something. If you want my suggestion, do not sign the lease until you get a job. As a newcomer, you are not in the position to choose. You will have to go wherever you get a job. If your boss says that you have to move to Windsor because their superduper new AI company is in Windsor, then you got to move. That's why I would try to find a room for cash only.

Anything else you want to know, feel free to ask.

 

[Deleted member 1083629]

The argument "If you work hard you will be rich / successful etc." is fair and unfair at the same time. Very few people become successful without working hard; however people do not become successful just because they work hard. There are plenty of people in US and Canada who work two jobs, work really hard but won't be super successful or rich.

People like to give themselves a lot of credit when they make it and then will take every opportunity to tell everyone who will listen how they became big because they "worked hard". They are not wrong but they do ignore that chance and luck do play a role. I know people would be offended if you told them that you are successful because of so many things falling in to place which were not in their control .. "being at right place at right time". Their argument would be on the lines of "Harder I work.. Luckier I get"

I would urge people to read two books (if not already)

• Fooled By Randomness - Nicholas Taleb
• Outliers - Malcolm Gladwell

Agree with you completely on people ignoring one major factor of when a person immigrated. There is a HUGE difference between coming to Canada in 2012 vs 2022.

Does it mean people coming after 2022 won't be rich or successful in Canada? Absolutely not. There will be people who would do that. BUT, it will be much harder and not just a function of "working hard".

Although, this is a never ending debate and don't think people from either side will be able to change minds.

Agree with you. Survivorship bias: everyone talks about those who got rich while ignoring those who failed. The probability to fail is much higher than the probability of getting rich.

Most people will never get a decent job in modern Canada. It's not their fault. It's just the reality of the market. One thing to compete with 10 people, another thing is to compete with 100 people. Number of jobs stay more or less the same.

That's why I keep telling everyone reading this: rethink your move to Canada. Getting PR is not the end of the journey; it's barely a start. If you don't believe me, read this: https://www.quora.com/Do-you-regret-moving-to-Canada . A lot of those posts are from 3-4 years ago. From pre-COVID Canada that was much, much better than todays.

 

[imransyed]

To the people who moved to Canada recently, is it worth it to try and find housing before moving? Or am I basically forced to move and get an Airbnb while I try to find housing? Also, if I don't secure a job before moving, how do I navigate not having a credit dscore or payslips in the country?

@RSub @GandiBaat and anyone else who has an idea.

Mushy, let me tell you about what I did, and I landed in Toronto late December, one of the colder months. I wanted to keep it super thrifty but not painfully cheap like getting a bed in a hostel/house with @navinball like LLs.

For the first week, I booked the cheapest room on booking.com, for about I wanna say 70cad a night. This was important due to Jetlag and stuff. Then I got onto kijiji, started looking for rooms in the city and checked a few of them out by travelling in a bus (very very slow), I was not successful in finding a room so I spoke to the manager of the property I was in and he offered a cash deal of 55 a night. And this was a massive bedroom, size of some living rooms with a shared bathroom.

Then on Kijiji I came across some owners who instead of letting their rooms out long term, were doing it short term on day to day basis. I visited a Chinese guy's place, it was 30 a night for a private room and 35 or for a private room with private bathroom. And owner lived in the house so all that came with a functional kitchen and laundry machines. Just wanted 2-3 days worth of rent upfront and I was good to go.

My tip to you is come without family at first. Second, TTC. Third, only have airline luggage worth of stuff with you. I was mentally prepared to move a few times because finding that homely place can and probably will take time.

 

[Ad78]

My landlord is of Indian descent. He immigrated to Canada in the late 90s. Wonderful gentleman. Him and his family have treated me like a family member. Never once did I face any of the bad things that I have seen people write about online. Whenever I needed anything done (getting a leak fixed or some other minor things), they always got it done instantly. Seeing any one of them (the landlord, his wife, his son, his daughter) at any time is always such a pleasure because they greet me with a warm smile and we chew the fat for a bit. Trust me, it makes a world of difference to have a nice landlord.

He had advertised his place on Kijiji and I contacted him directly the first time. I didn't have to deal with a realtor.