Meheruna,
With a kid, I would suggest you
not to book anything online from Bangladesh for long term, you need an accommodating landlord, need to see the room/apt first by being there physically, need to see the area/transport routes/ grocery distance, Berrie is a really cold place, you need amenities near you(does it have washer/dryer/how far is laundromat?)(
www.walkscore.com).
Think this is a good idea in general. Barrie gets a lot of snow but it has similar weather than Toronto which has decent weather compared to many other cities in Canada. Most students don't have children so housing geared to college students may not be close to an elementary school. You have to try to be near public transportation for things like going to the grocery store. Would also look into childcare because schools can end between 2:30-3:30. There are also school holidays that your child will have that you won't have.
Also your kid will go to school, so school distance, good school neighborhood is another factor (
http://ontario.compareschoolrankings.org/elementary/SchoolsByAreaMap.aspx).
School ranking is good but your child is young so won't make a huge difference. I would be more concerned at minimizing your transportation costs and commuting time.
Once you are physically there you have the ability to negotiate, bend some no nos.
Meeting with a landlord is a good idea for everyone. Landlords want to meet you to see if you give off a good first impression.
In your situation ideal would be if you get the apartment first, preferably a 2 bedroom and sublet the other bedroom, if you are pressed for money, that way you would be in a strong position all through the lease period. You will always find some students looking for apartment share. And if you are renting out then you can choose your room mate too
Would expect that most people will be reluctant to share an apartment with a mother and a small child so don't rent if you can't cover all of the rent if needed. Read the lease carefully it may not allow you to sublet the other room or you may have to ask the landlord first.
Right now from BD you can sort a few neighborhood from where you might want to settle. Then find a temporary stay there for one month, if you do not know any single person there then choose a rental with superhost from airbnb, you can initiate conversation with them, ask for there reference/suggestions, make them your
guarantor if you can tune with them. There is a chance that rental in Berrie would be a bit cheaper than Toronto city. So do not look for the cheapest option, at least not in your first winter. Come prepared, borrow some money even if you have to, but don't pass your first winter in a chilly basement with a 5 year old. Without guarantor landlords sometime ask for upto 6 months so have enough financial cushion.
T
hink you mean reference no guarantor. Guarantor means that they will agree to pay the rent if you don't. No landlord you just met will agree to that. Rental costs should be lower in Toronto than Barrie. People charge a premium if they rent close to the school. You also often end up paying more if you rent from abroad as a student.
No one would suggest you to go for apartment sharing with a kid, you do not how the other person would be. They are saying no, because they are concern about the child's safety. So do not take it personally, I haven't landed yet but still I found Toronto to be a single-mother-friendly place. So do not hold back for being a single mom. Do send me a message if you need anything more. Good Luck on your big adventure!
