MY EXPERIENCE:

A guide on how to navigate renting in the city based on student’s personal experiences.

Made By: Nicole Preissl

Contributions by: Angela P, Dan A, Theda H, Jannik H, Harish K, Stephanie B, Veronica W, Hyeon-Ju 1 Homestay

My housing experience in Vancouver was much better than I had expected. I am from a smaller town in Eastern USA and had always heard about the competitive rental market here in Vancouver. I started my housing search in early May, even though I wasn’t planning on moving until July or August. After a few weeks of searching I began to realize that if I wanted to be anywhere within 20 minutes of the school, my budget would have to change. I also found that, even if I was within the same neighborhood, or even just a few kms away, I was still a 30-minute bus ride away at best. I was beginning to feel a bit hopeless until the housing office at Emily Carr suggested a homestay opportunity. They put me in contact with a local homestay agency, and from there it was smooth sailing. All I had to do was fill out a short application, provide some documentation, and have my parents give some information as well. In under a week, the agency had paired me with an awesome family based on information I gave in my profile. I read their bio, which allowed me to learn more about them, the room they were providing, and the neighborhood they lived in. On the first day, they showed me all around Vancouver, giving me a tour of the buses to take, and where my school was located. I had time to settle in without worrying about anything; everything was included: food, utilities and furnishings. I had my own private room in the basement, and loved that extra privacy when I needed to stay up late for homework or watching movies. They let me use their living room when I wanted, or join them when they went to cool events around the city. They provided healthy meals, and I even made meals for them from time to time. Even though I had only planned to live there 10 months at most, I ended up staying there for over 2 years, creating an awesome bond with the family. I still go visit them to this day, and hope to always remain in contact. My best piece of advice is to remain positive; not every moment will be awesome, and there may be some hard times. Communication with your homestay family is key, and the more mature you act, the more respect they will give you. Overall it was a great experience and I would 10/10 recommend. -Angela P

I chose to do a Homestay; I was a bit nervous at first because I’m very independent, and also wanted my own privacy. The Homestay agency originally paired me with a family that was nice, but after moving in I realized I was allergic to cats and couldn’t live there anymore. The agency was awesome about it and found me a new family within days, and a week later I moved into the new place. I liked how easy it was for me; if I had been renting with a roommate and had to move my own furniture, it would have been expensive and troublesome. The new family was just as good, and they gave me as much privacy as I wanted. I loved the mom’s meals and learned a lot about their culture. They even helped me out sometimes when I needed a ride to school or to the clinic. One piece of advice I would give would be to get to know your family before you move in, and if you aren’t sure if you’re allergic to cats, find out before you move! Homestay was a nice introduction to the city and living alone. Even though I only spent 8 months there, I still enjoyed it and am glad I chose that option for my first 2 Exchange Students

I am from Germany, so I’m used to looking for accommodation months ahead. I only realized once I began looking for a place in Vancouver that it is much more common to find a place about a month before move-in. That being said, having only a month to find a place can be a bit nerve-racking, so I suggest trying to find a place for August; that way, if anything falls through, you still have another month as back-up. You could also rent an Airbnb or couch-surf for the first weeks while you check out which areas you would like to live in. When I was house-hunting, I checked Craigslist and Facebook groups regularly. I found my room in a Facebook group for collective housing in the Down- town Eastside. Some people are nervous to rent in this area, but I find that I feel perfectly safe and even have some of the most interesting conversations with the locals of this community. I love living in this neighborhood because it is relatively cheap, very central, and close to venues and galleries. It is very easy to go everywhere by bike, and it is connected by many bus lines. My best piece of advice for anyone looking for accommodation is to be careful what you sign up for, and thoroughly research the area. Make sure you can get to school or work easily, and that you feel comfortable where you are. Try not to find anything from abroad unless you are desperate. Keep in mind that spending a few hundred dollars on temporary housing in Vancouver while you search for housing is so worth it in the end, and prevents many nervous moments from abroad. -Theda H

Here are my tips: - Craigslist is the exchange students’ best friend. - Expect your search for accommodation to take longer than first anticipated. Be patient. - Expect a 30-minute travel time to school. - Talk to students--they usually know what the best places to be or stay are. - Don’t be scared to stay in temporary housing either. I had a few exchange student friends who stayed in homestay house. One chose to do a Homestay because she liked how it could be short-term, with no lease to worry about. The other stayed in a homestay family until he got used to Vancouver and knew where he wanted to be. Another friend of mine stayed in an AirBnb until a sublet opportunity came up in late September. If you go in with an open mind, it’s not as daunting as it may seem. - Jannik H

When I first got accepted to Emily Carr, I didn’t think much about housing. I had kept putting it off, thinking I would do it another time until finally I only had a month to find a place. I began searching the regular way, using Craigslist and the Emily Carr Housing Facebook group. After a week or so with no luck, I booked some temporary housing with GEC Vancouver, which is a student housing hotel. There are mostly students studying on Exchange, or in ESL programs, but I did meet many other students that were using it as a place to stay while they found more suitable accommodation. About 3 weeks into my search, I found a sublet opportunity that was close to the school. The sublet was from mid-October to mid-January, and so I stayed at Viva tower until it became available. Living in GEC Viva tower and then a sublet meant that I didn’t need to spend any money buying furniture, cooking utensils, or bedding. Each place provided more than enough living supplies. Although I wouldn’t recommend finding housing as last-minute as I did, looking for housing for October meant there were more options for myself, and I didn’t feel as much pressure to arrive in Canada so early. I loved my time here and would definitely recommend shorter term places such as subletting, student hotel or homestay options if you are an exchange student. - Harish K 3 Suburb Living

I grew up in northern BC –a very small town that most people in Vancouver have never heard of. When I got accepted to Emily Carr, I had mixed emotions, from extreme excitement to intense worry. I had never lived on my own, so I had no experience with renting, let alone in a larger city. I also had a feeling that I would be competing with many other students for the best housing opportunities. In July, I began looking for a space, whether it be for myself alone, with other students, or a space for me and my significant other. I wanted to keep watch early but I only really had access to Kijiji and Craigslist, and every person who actually got back to me wanted to meet me in person. I lived 16 hours to the north so that couldn’t work. Emily Carr’s Housing Office eased my stress levels but I was still having a hard time trying to hold a place while being so far away. My significant other decided that he would take one for the team; he bused down in early August and stayed at a friend’s place while he looked for a space and a job. He checked the listings on the sites previously mentioned, responded and met them right away, and had a job and a place lined up within three days of arriving in Vancou- ver. He didn’t have any renting experience either, but worked hard and long hours, searching online and offline classified postings until he landed one. Every place is different, but I think that, if you don’t have much experience with renting, the best thing to do is go easy on yourself, be patient, try and be in the city or ask for help when needed. The housing office was a great resource and helped me through many small and large problems any time I needed it. -Veronica W

For me, the most important thing about renting was finding a place that was affordable and had some privacy (I’m pretty introverted). I lucked out with a place in Burn- aby. Just by being willing to commute a little farther, I got an incredible deal on rent in a great neighborhood. I had a few hiccups with my landlord, but it was resolved quickly with open conversations and meetings. Know your rights! I always reference this site heavily: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/ housing-tenancy/residential-tenancies You can always call or visit the Residential Tenancy Office with questions; it is a free service that’s there to help. Living with a roommate can be tricky at times, but the key is open communication and establishing your roles and boundaries early on in the relationship. A roommate can be your best friend or someone who just helps you with the rent, and both are ok. Always know that almost any problem or quarrel can be fixed or remedied. -Stephanie B

You have to be willing to compromise on something: location, price or space, and in Vancouver it’s good to keep an open mind and be flexible. Something to consider before renting is that some places require a 12-month lease, so it’s important to discuss with your landlords if sub-letting is an option, especially if you’re a student and not intending on staying over the summer months. During my first year I was able to find a place within a 10-minute bus ride to my University, but the price was a bit high and the size of the suite was a bit small to be housing 3 students. The basement suite was nice on warmer days, and allowed us to be a bit more detached from the rest of the house, giving us a bit more privacy. Renting for the first time was definitely a learning experience and, after the lease was completed, I decided that being so close to the school really wasn’t worth the extra couple hundred dollars in rent and the lack of space. The next place that I moved to was in Burnaby, which was one of the best decisions I have made so far. While I can’t speak for everyone, I was fine with travelling the ex- tra few minutes on transit, and now that the school is closer, my commute will be even shorter. Our new apartment was huge compared to the previous one, had updat- ed appliances, and lots of windows. Houses in the suburbs are often newer developments, and you might find they are cleaner and more recently updated. For me, moving to Burnaby was a really good decision, and the benefits of living in a suburb far outweigh the negatives. Renting in Vancouver can make you feel frustrat- ed, tired and anxious- but understanding how it can be navigated by making certain sacrifices can make it bearable. My advice is to be open-minded about your location, and to be aware of your rights as a renter before agreeing to anything. -Hyeon-Ju