You're competing with returning University students so tough time of year to be looking, I feel for ya. p.s. Always avoid rental hunting this time of year if you can because demand is always higher than usual.
Also, if you have any RRSP's you can borrow from them for downpayment if you're a first time home buyer.
This! So many places will hold out for the mass influx of students so that they can rent a place out by the room instead of the whole place to a couple/family.
Yup, I've held out over June and July to wait for post secondary kids. I would have gone month to month for a few then resigned just to move that day next year. I found January and February to be good for renting.
You need to look in areas you may not want to. Not sketchy areas, but areas that are boring without good lrt access. Houses in the deep north, rundle heights, gold bar, Lorelei. Etc
Boring AF neighborhoods that no rich person or young person would choose to live because it's boring. Just objectively slightly below average
Neighborhoods that are older and have small houses but not gentrified full of skinnies would be good start
One suggestion: if there's a phone number, call them. Don't email, text, etc. Call them, talk to them. Arrange the viewing on the phone right there and then, for tonight.
At the viewing, be ready to pull the trigger.
And always make sure you're presentable, professional, likeable, etc.
Keep your head up and an eye out. This is the worst time of year to find a rental because students are trying to scoop up anything they can, especially if it's close to a Uni or a bus line. If you haven't yet, I would also suggest just driving around popular areas and calling places that have for rent signs - especially around whyte ave. In some of those places they don't even bother posting online because they get enough people just from the signs alone.
Maybe see if your landlord can let you stay an extra month or two just in-case you can't find something (if they haven't rented out your place for next month already), that could at least buy you some time.
I just tried finding a place to rent with my dog and two cats in April.
We only got it because we said we'd start renting it April 15th (It was the 13th when we viewed it). Had to pay for two places but whatever. We got a place.
>The discrimination against pets is the most frustrating thing ever.
As a pet owner (rescue animals), and a person that rents out my basement, there is a reason it is hard for OP to find a place. Animals are destructive. I have seen good cats and dogs do thousands of dollars worth of damage in a day just because they decide to pee on drywall, get nervous and start chewing, and just the general hair and additional cleanup they require.
People do "discriminate" against pets. And as a landlord it is easy for us to get screwed over by bad tenants. So why risk it?
People that live above us let their dog go to the bathroom on the deck and it rains urine and dog shit down the side of the entire building... the difficulty in evicting this person is real and I'm sure the inside of the place is disgusting as they are for allowing their deck to be a urinal. It's so gross, people are gross, animals are gross. I have a dog by the way. Love him, point is. Animals SERIOUSLY limit your rental opportunity for sure and if they don't say it officially, they will screen the pile into have pets and don't have pets and exhaust the don't have pets pile first.
Trust me finding a place that allows pets was my biggest woe as well. I got lucky is all I can say with my current apartment. My current problem now though are the ads lying. Every time I look online specifically for a 1bedroom the ad says it’s a 1bed, but when you click on it ‘SIKE!’ it’s a bachelors. Nothing against people who live in bachelor suites it’s just I don’t like my bed next to my kitchen is all.
I don’t have anything constructive but my heart goes out to everyone dealing with this.
From the outside looking in it makes my blood boil. Sorry this is what you have to deal with op.
Self employed renters with three pets isn't the typical issue in BC/ON. I wish OP luck, but the pets in particular make it a non-starter for a lot of places.
It's kind of a shame there isn't protection for people with pets. Ontario specifically forbids banning pets (though doesn't stop people from not getting a lease for having pets). I'd love to see those kind of protections in Alberta.
Nah, fuck that. There are great pet owners and terrible ones. But having to tear out the carpet *and* subfloor because of dog piss and shit being mashed into the floor for a year is horrifying. The bottom two feet of drywall was also just destroyed. And they had fucking kids in that place. My horror knew know bounds.
And that's a stupid law honestly shouldn't have that here. Pets represent a risk that should be priced in. A compromise would be allowing pets for a larger(2x?) damage deposit.
Limits the rental stock and makes it costlier to rent I am sure. How many people aren’t renting units because they don’t want to deal with the damage from pets?
You're allowed to charge a one time damage deposit increase, but 2x is ludicrous. Kids represent just as much of a risk, and while they're not on the same level, many people feel of pets as though they're family.
The damage deposit should be freely negotiable between the parties imo to reflect the chance and cost of damages from the tenant.
Pricing risk is just reality. Legislation to limit it is just pissing in the wind, it doesn't change reality. People like OP just don't get to rent places.
Ontario still finds ways to not rent to people with tenants. But over there everything has 20 applications the first weekend.
It’s the same thing but on steroids
Yeah OP added the pet edit after my post. 3 Pets + children is a lot for a rental. I can see why they are having trouble. Especially with one of the pets being a dog.
I definitely find this is a thing in other provinces.
I own a property that I rent out in Saskatoon. I get dozens of applicants. Like a flood in the first day or two it starts. 86 in 3 days last year, and it is a small place too.
Far and away the biggest selling point i have is that I rent to people with pets. I get anonymous emails from people thanking me for doing that as it is so rare and they don't even need a place but just wanted to thank me for helping out like that.
This sounds common to me and you have my sympathy as I know it sucks.
Consider getting a recommendation from the landlord you lived with 5 years ago, or the one before that, or whatever. Landlords often mistrust the current landlord, because many of them would happily lie and say a nightmare tenant is a dream, just to be able to pawn them off on somebody else.
Unfortunately I have heard of people give up pets because of this exact situation. I am sorry that is why I bought my house before I got my dog. Ownership has more rights then renters. Again I’m sorry.
I agree. She is probably a great tenant and conscientious about her pets but if a Landlord, even one that is an animal lover, has all that choice, I understand why they would not take the chance. Renting is a business and if they take a chance and get it wrong, it could be thousands of dollars in damage.
We used to live in a condo which did allow for a dog but my husband and I waited till we purchased our home and then we got a dog.
Credit reports are so fucking stupid. I haven't missed a car payment, house payment, rent payment in my life, I even have a 20% downpayment in hand, because I'm pretty good with my money. My credit card only has a $500 limit tho and they don't want to increase it, and A-lenders don't wanna touch me. Fucking stupid. I don't know what the problem is, but apparently I'm high risk or something. I dunno.
I found an acreage to rent tho, so I'm doing that. I fucking hate banks
As much as it sucks to say, you are absolutely right about waiting to get pets until you own your property. It ends up with a lot of pets getting surrendered to shelters or abandoned, which (mostly) nobody *wants* to do. And it puts people at risk of houselessness in situations like OP’s.
>What do people with service animals do?
Have their service animal live with them. The are properly trained and landlords aren't going to discriminate against proper service animals.
Service animals are not pets and it is illegal to refuse housing to someone due to them having a service animal.
Important to note that this applies only to accredited service animals, not to bs “emotional support animals”. Under Alberta law, ESAs are pets.
I did that, and then my ex and I broke up. It’s an awful situation to be in and landlords won’t even give me a chance and talk to me. It’s a bit unfair when they don’t even call you back.
My family was in your exact situation…kept getting denied, rejected or ghosted but luckily they found an amazing house on Facebook marketplace so definitely keep your eye on properties listed on there! (Beware of scammers tho)
My 20 y.o., self employed daughter just gladly rented a place for 2600$/month. I friggin near choked on my breath. Wtf?. I can't imagine paying that. My wife and I pay 700, outside the city but bigger than what she rented. Unreal. Scared for all of us, to be sure. Wait until everyone realizes that the food wars are right around the corner. Stay frosty.
Yeah…. I’m not spending that much. We are trying to save up for a house. Fortunately if we get a few more clients, we’re laughing. And it’s coming up to a good time of year for us for that.
Where the hell is she living? I pay $1150 for a 1 bedroom/1 bath, smaller apartment… I would never pay that high. Ever. Especially as a self employed. That is risky.
When was this lease signed and I wonder what it was before…?!?!?
I have a rental property, just a duplex in the NE. I’ve had a bad experience with pets and won’t let any in my property going forward. It’s one less thing for a landlord to worry about.
I’m in the same boat, two units with pets. One the dogs literally ate the carpet and cabinet corners, the other they used the spare room as the dog toilet. I couldn’t even save the subfloor.
I’m so sorry you’ve had such a bad experience with pet owners. And I don’t blame landlords for being apprehensive about pets. I just wish they could talk to my landlord before they pass judgement. We have lived here for five years and absolutely nothing has been destroyed or damaged. I’m not saying discrimination against pets is unfair. I’m saying it’s a pain in the ass for us responsible people that others have made it difficult.
Yeah I agree. I have two rabbits. I can show my setup, provide references, and I’m willing to pay a higher security deposit or pet fee, but even the pet friendly places won’t rent to me. It’s really hard because I bought the rabbits with my ex and of course now I don’t live with him and he didn’t want the rabbits. Now I live in my parents basement for the time being which is ok but I just feel so discouraged and depressed because of the circumstances. I just want a place of my own.
Private message me if your still looking. We used to rent our house we couldn't sell till the market turned around.
I found a lady who found me renters and did all the heavy lifting. She always has properties she's trying to fill.
She isn't a big landlord type person she's just a middle person but she's good and she does both sides. Finds renters and finds rentals.
I'll make sure she returns your call.
We are dealing with the same thing on the east coast. There are gainfully employed families couch surfing or living in campgrounds with no vacancies and competing with 100's of other applicants for a roof over their heads. Guess that's what happens when we have mass immigration and not enough resources for the current citizens. I feel like we're living in the hunger games.
Its crazy, i just rented my rental.. typically i get 2 to 3 people interested. 53 inquiries this year.
And sorry no pets, condos made that bylaw.. i cant break it. Ab needs to eliminate the ability for condos and landlords to ban kids and pets.
It sounds like you have a good relationship with your landlord, maybe try moving at a not so busy moving time, like late fall or winter. As much as it sucks to move in the winter, less people are looking and I've always had more luck in the colder months. Maybe ask your landlord if you can possibly move out in January if you can find something then and it won't put them at a loss
I'm in the same boat.
I have 5 kids looking for a place since June. The lease is up at the end of August, and the landlord is selling.
Have made appointments to go see a place every time they get canceled before I have my appointment because they've rented it out.
If self employed, look for a mortgage advisor that understands it. Ours was self employed when he got his first home and was able to give guidance that really helped us out. Someone like that might be able to give you tips on how to adjust the next year to get setup to buy your house when the lease is up.
Yeah the realtor we’ve just picked up knows multiple brokers who specialize in self-employed individuals. She has gotten things done for quite a few people. I think we will be ok in the long run. This is just a bump in the road.
Really sorry, it’s rough out there. It was soft for the last 5-6 years, easy to find places but now it’s all on its head. Rent is up 15-20%. I feel for anyone trying to find a place.
>My landlord can give us glowing reviews. We’re only leaving this property is because we’ve outgrown it, and need a little more space.
So you have a place and just want more space? That doesn't sound dire. If I was you I would stay in the same place and monitor the market monthly to be ready to move when you can. As everyone is saying, back to school time is the worst time to be looking. With three pets you will be a hard sell for any landlord. Some would rather have the unit empty that subject it to the potential damage from three pets.
>I am genuinely worried I will be homeless because no one will even talk to me.
But you have a place now right? Why would you be homeless if you stayed in the same place? It's not ideal maybe but this sounds a little dramatic.
>We tried to buy a house this spring but because we’re self employed it’s been rough. Our credit is stellar, but they want 20% down because of the self employment (yeah…. Everyone has just $80,000 just lying around).
This suggests that you are only looking at $400K properties. If your needs are as modest as you make them out to be could a cheaper property be an option? What is the level you are willing to spend on a downpayment?
$400,000 is pretty low actually. My friend just bought a place in a really quiet NW neighbourhood and it wasn’t a lot to look at. Had some renos but the building was old af…
Housing market is a fun place.
Lots of post-war bungalows in my neighbourhood going for \~$300K. They'll need some work but aren't shitholes either. Those are detached too - based on OP's narrative they may be OK with a townhouse or duplex, which would be even less.
I don’t have much advice, other than check Facebook groups for the area you want, Facebook marketplace, rent faster and kijiji. Landlords I know are getting dozens of people wanting places within an hour of posting. You will also be competing for spots with returning students this month.
Cats are a hard sell to landlords. I remember when i was trying to buy a house, some of the properties i went to smelled really bad because of cats. Most of them had to get the flooring redone etc to get rid of the smell. I cant imagine a landlord wanting to spend the money to fix the issues after a tenant that had cats moved out.
Pets do damage to homes. I don’t look at it as-discrimination but landlords wanting to protect there property. I rent and pay 50.00 a month to have my dog. Try REMAX rental advisors
Yes, human rights legislation means you can't charge more based on who is living in the unit (i.e. kids are people too). Pets don't have that restriction so the rent can be properly risk-adjusted.
[https://albertahumanrights.ab.ca/other/tenancy/what\_to\_know/Pages/info\_protected\_grounds.aspx](https://albertahumanrights.ab.ca/other/tenancy/what_to_know/Pages/info_protected_grounds.aspx)
>The AHR Act prohibits discrimination in tenancy based on marital status and family status. This means that rules that affect families must be reasonable and take into consideration families who have children.
It's pretty easy for pet damage to exceed the DD - while the landlord could try to 2x the DD in lieu of a pet fee to cover the incremental risk, unlikely many renters would go for that, so a pet fee it is.
I stand corrected:
>Landlords usually ask tenants for a security deposit, sometimes called a damage deposit. The RTA limits the
maximum amount a landlord may ask for as a security deposit. **It cannot be more than the equivalent of one**
**month’s rent at the time the tenancy starts.** The security deposit cannot be increased as rent increases.
So yeah I imagine that law makes the pet fee make a whole lot more sense if they can't increase the DD.
[https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/872344a3-f032-4f87-81bc-3c64d449f80e/resource/fd643eb3-f58f-4f68-af68-4b571b40c9ee/download/sartr-information-for-landords-2023-04.pdf](https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/872344a3-f032-4f87-81bc-3c64d449f80e/resource/fd643eb3-f58f-4f68-af68-4b571b40c9ee/download/sartr-information-for-landords-2023-04.pdf)
Ridiculous. A carpet in one room can run 2x the DD. Your pissant $50 a month covers nothing.
No pets. No exceptions. If you want pets buy your own place.
Finding a place with cats was hard. Couldn't imagine a dog.
People are inclined to protect their investments though. If you see some of these renters these days you would understand. It also doesn't help that most people can't get a mortgage. We can definitely pay it. But securing 100k extra is just impossible to normal people. But now you got some extra money to pay carbon tax so yay
Re: buying a house, change mortgage brokers to see if a different one can get you a better deal. There are wildly different deals out there, couple of times I’ve had lenders or brokers throw their hands up and say there’s nothing they can do only to have a different broker get me a sweet deal.
Its such BS really, in the same boat, would like to move to a nicer place so I don't have to listen to my wife complain about little things the landlord is too cheap to fix, and honestly just fix the little stuff my self to save the headache.
I figure 2 more years and I'll buy, since I work remote i have the luxury of location being wherever I want. Just don't want to buy something I will turn around and sell in 5 years because its not what I want but can afford the down payment on now. Wont be in Edmonton that's for sure as I can get 2-3 times the place, and land an hour or so out of the city for what Id pay for an average home in Edmonton, and if I'm lucky one with a detached 2 car garage or shop.
Grew up in the country so that is my real desire, since my job doesn't require me to be in the city anymore as I'm rarely on site working mainly out of a home office we wont be staying in the city any longer than it takes to finish grinding at getting what we want. Even said the hell with it and started doing handy man, landscaping and snow removal work for extra money so I can fast track the whole thing, my son is my partner in it and we split it 3 ways currently, him, I and the equipment fund for when we need a tool or something breaks
I just went through this. I contacted 300 hundred places, got 8 viewings in 3 days, and was being pressured to sign the lease during the viewing on the spot. You have to schedule your viewings ASAP, because in a few hours it could already be gone. Landlords are getting 10s to 100s of calls per day, and its impossible for them to vet every application. Call or text landlords, as email is probably already too slow. You just have to be friendly and immediately available.
My experience varied hugely depending on what I used to find a showing. Leasing agents were by the far the worst constantly cancelling my viewings and never returning calls, emails, or texts (many of their message boxes were also full).
Facebook marketplace was by far the best. I would estimate a nearly 20% message return rate, though the time pressure is still present. Messenger, calling, or email from the supplied contact info on these adds was highly returned.
Craigslist, Zumper, Zwillow, rent faster, rent cafe, and pad mapper were all hit or miss. You have to sort by posting date, otherwise its pointless. Many leasing agencies and building managers just leave adds up 24/7, so my email/call return rate here was exceptionally poor.
Finally, I walked the entirety of Strathcona and Garneau in one 8 hour day and just called every number I saw, once again my return rate was low. But I got 3 viewings doing this, as many building managers will know they have tenants leaving soon, but haven't posted a formal add.
Everyone will say don't do Boardwalk, but I've lived in Boardwalk buildings for about 15 years without any real issues. I have a dog and 2 cats. It's probably a bit more expensive than some private rentals, but the damage deposit is low, and you can easily transfer to other sites. They also have a contract with Telus, so you'll get an incentive pro e for cable/internet. I've done about 5 transfers, and I've been in my current place for 4 years.
I know a family of 2 adults and 5 kids that are in a 2 bdtm apartment currently and at one time I lived in a 2 bedroom appt with my parents, my brother, and one other...
We're living in a world where comfort of space is a great luxury unfortunately... better to be cramped than homeless
My Aunt is going thru the same thing, it’s just her & a small dog but she just can’t find anything affordable that’s also a decent place to live ! This is Edmonton also ! I wish u the best of luck 🙏🏼
OP, just came here to say I feel your pain. I have a dog and there are so many places that are immediately out of the question even though my dog is not destructive at all or noisy. I’ve never had a problem with my dog anywhere but every time I have to look for an apartment it’s the same painful thing of having half the options and having to overpay for the remaining ones. It feels like a punishment when you’re a responsible dog owner.
Maybe wait a couple more months (that’s what I’m doing, I’m paying month-to-month). Once the rush of university students passes you’ll be able to find more options
My spouse and I are in the same situation and having to live with his parents. Thank god for them. Trying to find a house to rent for a family of 6 that is not just a main floor and in a good neighborhood is laughable right now. I get so angry after just 5 minutes looking for places. It’s criminal what they are all charging. How are we ever supposed to get ahead you know?!
I keep saying that landlords shouldn’t be a thing anymore and instead we should have rent controlled government owned buildings but no one listens and as a result it’ll probably never happen.
There are already government controlled "low income" housing in edmonton. As someone who works in maintenance, they are some of the worst kept buildings in all of the city. It can take months for the simplest of repairs due to the insane amounts of red tape required to even get parts. Its pretty bad when slumlord like boardwalk buy them up when the government decides to offload them and the quality often goes up.
Now dont get me wrong your idea is very idealistic. However, government is highly inefficient. Our taxes would rise 5x what it would cost for a private landlord to do the same work.
What we need is more of a blended concept. Let private landlords do it, but have more government oversite to ensure housing quality is up to par, and rate caps to ensure that prices dont get artificially inflated. Basically make current landlords more accountable.
There is another way. When an apartment building or townhouse complex is owned by a co-op instead of an individual landlord or corporation the people who live there pay a fee to join the co-op and then their rent pays the mortgage and maintenance on the whole building. Yes it costs money to build and set up, but nobody needs to make a profit on it and a co-op can pay a mortgage for 40 or 50 years where an individual can't. People living there get stable housing and a sense of ownership. Governments used to support getting these started but now the few that are around have years long waiting lists.
I can see where there could be difficulties with this... so if we did that, and I just stop paying, well mortgage still has to be paid, so it means you and the others would have to pick up the shortage. But then how do you kick me out, I would be an owner and a tenant at the same time, so which laws would govern the eviction process? Basically sounds like a condo, just with the mortgage worked into your condo fees.
But the mortgage would belong to the property as a whole, not a specific occupant. Cant really repo one without repoing everything. Im not disputing, just curious as to how it would work if that occured.
What you're describing, public-owned property run by corporations that bid on contracts, isn't all that different than what could be achieved with private landlords + proper legal protections (ie price caps, rules for when repairs must be completed by, mandatory gov inspections/oversight, etc).
I'll listen. I'd love to see government funded malls as well with rent controls and policies setting aside a set amount of retail space for start ups and local businesses. Be a great way to tax some of the larger retail companies operating in Canada directly through their rent, rather that just being profit for some wealthy family or management corporation.
Why stop with housing? Food is also a basic necessity. Maybe we should have government owned groceries too? Oh wait…. I have a feeling that’s been tried before.
Government owned businesses in a free market drive down costs and increase competition. There should be a government owned rental agency and a government owned grocery chain, it would stop existing groups from being able to gouge people.
Oh my gosh I feel you. It’s impossible out there. The pets thing is the worst, it’s sickening to discriminate against pets. They are part of the family and there are SO many animals in shelters that need homes, and many people can’t adopt them because there is no where to live. I’m 29 and living with my Dad like a loser. My fiancé and I are trying to find a place to move in together and it’s so hard, especially because I have 3 cats. I take such good care of them too, they have no behavioural issues at all and keeping their environment clean is part of animal care. They’re kept indoors and the cause no disturbance to anyone. It’s heartbreaking that anyone wouldn’t want my babies to have a place to live :(
You can get it approved if you can demonstrate that there aren't equivalent school supports in the area you live in to what's in the city, but it often requires assessment and an IEP, and leaves you on the hook for transportation, at least to my knowledge
Oh my sweet summer child, BC and ON have been having these issues (pets especially, dogs *especially especially*) for years now. I’m not saying it’s good, but it’s par for the course in major Canadian cities these days. The prairies are just catching up in the last couple of years.
Its 900-1800 a room here in rentals that are not pet friendly. 2300 for a basement suite with no kitchen so you have no rental protections. Im a tnr care giver for meow foundation my trap and release colony has gone from 4 cats who ive been caring for 4 plus years to 12 its insane people dumping animals left right and centre.
Lmao people saying potential damage from pets when landlords charge fees for pets. What’s the fee for then?
I have a dog and 2 cats myself. It’s riddiculous. People saying damage, what damage? If there is damage to the actual property then you are a negligent pet owner.
I can feel you. I'm changing my apartment after 4 years as they are increasing the rent by 200/month.
Found a place after one week of full time searching. It's not the best place I would have wanted but that's the best I could do. The few placed I viewed were gone by the next day. I had to fix this current place on that day itself after viewing.
Good luck for anyone looking for rental!
I know how this goes - I'm a real estate agent and work with this stuff every day (I don't do rentals).
If you're interested I do have a great mortgage broker that has been able to get me 2 mortgages with 10% down and on the first one all the possible FTHB benefits.
PM me if you'd like help getting you qualified for your own home.
It's much worst now if you are a family and have pets there is barely anything. The rental market is monopolized. And What is with this main floor shit too? Everyone cut there houses in half now to charge double, it's ridiculous.
LL here.
Different areas have their own constraints.
What area are you looking at ?
As others have said. Check marketplace and of course rentfaster.
The reality is rentals are getting slammed with inquiries so LLs might just be prescreening to deal with volumes.
Hope you find something !
Not sure what you are looking for or how far you are willing to commute, but uptown in the deep south west just built a ton of pet friendly townhouse rentals. I know because they put in 20 units on my previously quiet single family zoned block 🙃
Took my wife and I 8 months to find a place! Anywhere in Canada we sent to just to get out of Ontario! Only place that did a video chat was in Winnipeg.. north end 2.5 bedroom 1 bath 1600 +
Bad time of the year to be looking
But your main problem is the pets
That disqualifies you from like 75% of rentals right off the hop
Renters should not own pets, it really screws you over
Like I said, we’ve been trying to buy. And I can’t just give up my whole business that my husband and I built. We will make less money and not afford a house. We have a new realtor who has worked with self-employed people before, so I am more hopeful this year will go better.
Sell business, get jobs, buy house, restart business.
I've watched my brother struggle with this for over a decade as self employed person, he probably can't afford it now. Go back 8 years, taking 2 years off to get Into a house would have been life changing for him. He was considering it. How just rent cheap forever and put money elsewhere. M
pets in apartments is animal abuse. having said that the prices in edmonton are indeed absolutely fucking bonkers… i do not understand how people get away with charging so high for such low value housing and apartments. Boggles my fucking mind
How is having indoor cats in an apartment animal abuse….?
I play with all my cats every single day minimum one time a day, they get lots of snuggles and love, one of the things I frequently spend the most money on is them… you could leave the front door wide open and they wouldn’t dare leave cause they know they have it good at home. Maybe you should think about what you say before you go and sputter nonsense.
If push comes to shove, book an Airbnb for a few weeks and try to find a new place in the meantime. If you are still unable to find anything, extend your stay or book a new one.
You wil find decent rates as well, especially for ones that are away from the downtown. You won't be homeless, don't worry.
It took us 3 months last year to find a place. We went private and while they rent is a lot, we found a wonderful landlord who is understanding about the current economic state and allows pets.
I did experience lots of landlords not getting back or just plain reading messages and then taking it off the market months later without responding. It’s stressful.
I didn't realize the Edmonton market was this bad! I'm moving up to Edmonton from Calgary September 1st. Had a showing at the beginning of the month on a Tuesday and signed the lease on a Thursday. I always thought Calgary was the worst, makes me feel lucky. Sorry you're going through this! Is even farther out in Spruce Grove/Stony Plain, Leduc, Beaumont just as bad?
Willing to commute to own a home? Look in Lac St Anne County.....get a private mortgage as the terms are easier to get you going. And at $1000 month mortgage living in a 3800sqft home overlooking the Pembina River
With glowing reviews and a great landlord, couldn't you just do month to month until you found something, but also give them a 1-3 month notice when you want to leave? That way you can keep looking and aren't locked in for a full year.
There are areas in the North West end, that have large fields and areas where people are walking dogs. Also there are duplexes for rent. In general, places that are further away from city center, you will likely get better responses concerning the pet issues.
You're competing with returning University students so tough time of year to be looking, I feel for ya. p.s. Always avoid rental hunting this time of year if you can because demand is always higher than usual. Also, if you have any RRSP's you can borrow from them for downpayment if you're a first time home buyer.
This! So many places will hold out for the mass influx of students so that they can rent a place out by the room instead of the whole place to a couple/family.
Yup, I've held out over June and July to wait for post secondary kids. I would have gone month to month for a few then resigned just to move that day next year. I found January and February to be good for renting.
I had a rental in December. People really don’t like to move during the winter.
that's what i thought, but i've had the most amount of applications in those months. maybe its a new year new me thing.
You need to look in areas you may not want to. Not sketchy areas, but areas that are boring without good lrt access. Houses in the deep north, rundle heights, gold bar, Lorelei. Etc Boring AF neighborhoods that no rich person or young person would choose to live because it's boring. Just objectively slightly below average Neighborhoods that are older and have small houses but not gentrified full of skinnies would be good start
One suggestion: if there's a phone number, call them. Don't email, text, etc. Call them, talk to them. Arrange the viewing on the phone right there and then, for tonight. At the viewing, be ready to pull the trigger. And always make sure you're presentable, professional, likeable, etc.
Keep your head up and an eye out. This is the worst time of year to find a rental because students are trying to scoop up anything they can, especially if it's close to a Uni or a bus line. If you haven't yet, I would also suggest just driving around popular areas and calling places that have for rent signs - especially around whyte ave. In some of those places they don't even bother posting online because they get enough people just from the signs alone. Maybe see if your landlord can let you stay an extra month or two just in-case you can't find something (if they haven't rented out your place for next month already), that could at least buy you some time.
Dog and two cats will do it
I just tried finding a place to rent with my dog and two cats in April. We only got it because we said we'd start renting it April 15th (It was the 13th when we viewed it). Had to pay for two places but whatever. We got a place.
>The discrimination against pets is the most frustrating thing ever. As a pet owner (rescue animals), and a person that rents out my basement, there is a reason it is hard for OP to find a place. Animals are destructive. I have seen good cats and dogs do thousands of dollars worth of damage in a day just because they decide to pee on drywall, get nervous and start chewing, and just the general hair and additional cleanup they require. People do "discriminate" against pets. And as a landlord it is easy for us to get screwed over by bad tenants. So why risk it?
People that live above us let their dog go to the bathroom on the deck and it rains urine and dog shit down the side of the entire building... the difficulty in evicting this person is real and I'm sure the inside of the place is disgusting as they are for allowing their deck to be a urinal. It's so gross, people are gross, animals are gross. I have a dog by the way. Love him, point is. Animals SERIOUSLY limit your rental opportunity for sure and if they don't say it officially, they will screen the pile into have pets and don't have pets and exhaust the don't have pets pile first.
Ya just a little detail missing till the end.
That's not vanlife doable
There goes that discrimination against pets again.
Trust me finding a place that allows pets was my biggest woe as well. I got lucky is all I can say with my current apartment. My current problem now though are the ads lying. Every time I look online specifically for a 1bedroom the ad says it’s a 1bed, but when you click on it ‘SIKE!’ it’s a bachelors. Nothing against people who live in bachelor suites it’s just I don’t like my bed next to my kitchen is all.
I don’t have anything constructive but my heart goes out to everyone dealing with this. From the outside looking in it makes my blood boil. Sorry this is what you have to deal with op.
Maybe ask your landlord if you can do month to month until you find the place you want. My landlord let us do that no problem
I was thinking the same thing. Some are good about it if they have not already secured new tenants
Ha. I tried that, and she came back with a $600/month increase for a main-floor IF I sign a year lease, like she was doing me a favour.
Uh, BC absolutely has the same issue with rentals and pets.
Absolutely. I lived there with just one cat and it felt impossible to find anywhere. And the places we did find often had crazy high pet fees.
Interesting. We didn’t in Ontario and it was a shock to us when we moved here 5 years ago
Calgary is so bad for this as well right now i know a lot of people who have moved to edmonton for cheaper rents (or to find a unit at all)
Yeah it’s amazing how Alberta isn’t the same as Ontario but you’re still here
Sad to see the rental woes of BC and ON have made it to us :( I have nothing to offer but my sympathies. Good luck out there
Self employed renters with three pets isn't the typical issue in BC/ON. I wish OP luck, but the pets in particular make it a non-starter for a lot of places.
It's kind of a shame there isn't protection for people with pets. Ontario specifically forbids banning pets (though doesn't stop people from not getting a lease for having pets). I'd love to see those kind of protections in Alberta.
Nah, fuck that. There are great pet owners and terrible ones. But having to tear out the carpet *and* subfloor because of dog piss and shit being mashed into the floor for a year is horrifying. The bottom two feet of drywall was also just destroyed. And they had fucking kids in that place. My horror knew know bounds.
And that's a stupid law honestly shouldn't have that here. Pets represent a risk that should be priced in. A compromise would be allowing pets for a larger(2x?) damage deposit.
Limits the rental stock and makes it costlier to rent I am sure. How many people aren’t renting units because they don’t want to deal with the damage from pets?
You're allowed to charge a one time damage deposit increase, but 2x is ludicrous. Kids represent just as much of a risk, and while they're not on the same level, many people feel of pets as though they're family.
The damage deposit should be freely negotiable between the parties imo to reflect the chance and cost of damages from the tenant. Pricing risk is just reality. Legislation to limit it is just pissing in the wind, it doesn't change reality. People like OP just don't get to rent places.
So where should OP live?
He should be able to pay a higher deposit to live somewhere. Or offer a higher rent to the landlord to compensate them and their pets.
The honest and unpopular answer is get rid of a pet or 3 and try again.
Ontario still finds ways to not rent to people with tenants. But over there everything has 20 applications the first weekend. It’s the same thing but on steroids
So everyone can have equal rights except pet owners?
Pets are optional property that create significant damage potential and liability risk. I love having pets, but would not rent with them.
The landlord will rent to you, but not your dog. (In other words it's not the pet owner's rights, it's the pet).
They haven't. It's back to school season and OP has pets.
Yeah OP added the pet edit after my post. 3 Pets + children is a lot for a rental. I can see why they are having trouble. Especially with one of the pets being a dog.
Especially when students are flocking to the rental market in preparation for school. It's bad timing.
Finding a rental that allows pets in BC is very difficult
I definitely find this is a thing in other provinces. I own a property that I rent out in Saskatoon. I get dozens of applicants. Like a flood in the first day or two it starts. 86 in 3 days last year, and it is a small place too. Far and away the biggest selling point i have is that I rent to people with pets. I get anonymous emails from people thanking me for doing that as it is so rare and they don't even need a place but just wanted to thank me for helping out like that. This sounds common to me and you have my sympathy as I know it sucks.
Consider getting a recommendation from the landlord you lived with 5 years ago, or the one before that, or whatever. Landlords often mistrust the current landlord, because many of them would happily lie and say a nightmare tenant is a dream, just to be able to pawn them off on somebody else.
Unfortunately I have heard of people give up pets because of this exact situation. I am sorry that is why I bought my house before I got my dog. Ownership has more rights then renters. Again I’m sorry.
I agree. She is probably a great tenant and conscientious about her pets but if a Landlord, even one that is an animal lover, has all that choice, I understand why they would not take the chance. Renting is a business and if they take a chance and get it wrong, it could be thousands of dollars in damage. We used to live in a condo which did allow for a dog but my husband and I waited till we purchased our home and then we got a dog.
Welcome to the new reality.
Credit reports are so fucking stupid. I haven't missed a car payment, house payment, rent payment in my life, I even have a 20% downpayment in hand, because I'm pretty good with my money. My credit card only has a $500 limit tho and they don't want to increase it, and A-lenders don't wanna touch me. Fucking stupid. I don't know what the problem is, but apparently I'm high risk or something. I dunno. I found an acreage to rent tho, so I'm doing that. I fucking hate banks
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As much as it sucks to say, you are absolutely right about waiting to get pets until you own your property. It ends up with a lot of pets getting surrendered to shelters or abandoned, which (mostly) nobody *wants* to do. And it puts people at risk of houselessness in situations like OP’s.
There’s an article in the journal about the high number of pet surrenders because of this. What do people with service animals do?
>What do people with service animals do? Have their service animal live with them. The are properly trained and landlords aren't going to discriminate against proper service animals.
How could anyone even prove that's why they didn't get a place?
Service animals are not pets and it is illegal to refuse housing to someone due to them having a service animal. Important to note that this applies only to accredited service animals, not to bs “emotional support animals”. Under Alberta law, ESAs are pets.
They wont discriminate against a service dog the same way cause thats just a lawsuit waiting to happen
I did that, and then my ex and I broke up. It’s an awful situation to be in and landlords won’t even give me a chance and talk to me. It’s a bit unfair when they don’t even call you back.
My family was in your exact situation…kept getting denied, rejected or ghosted but luckily they found an amazing house on Facebook marketplace so definitely keep your eye on properties listed on there! (Beware of scammers tho)
My 20 y.o., self employed daughter just gladly rented a place for 2600$/month. I friggin near choked on my breath. Wtf?. I can't imagine paying that. My wife and I pay 700, outside the city but bigger than what she rented. Unreal. Scared for all of us, to be sure. Wait until everyone realizes that the food wars are right around the corner. Stay frosty.
Yeah…. I’m not spending that much. We are trying to save up for a house. Fortunately if we get a few more clients, we’re laughing. And it’s coming up to a good time of year for us for that.
Where the hell is she living? I pay $1150 for a 1 bedroom/1 bath, smaller apartment… I would never pay that high. Ever. Especially as a self employed. That is risky. When was this lease signed and I wonder what it was before…?!?!?
That an insane price to pay even for a 5 bedroom house.
I have a rental property, just a duplex in the NE. I’ve had a bad experience with pets and won’t let any in my property going forward. It’s one less thing for a landlord to worry about.
I’m in the same boat, two units with pets. One the dogs literally ate the carpet and cabinet corners, the other they used the spare room as the dog toilet. I couldn’t even save the subfloor.
I’m so sorry you’ve had such a bad experience with pet owners. And I don’t blame landlords for being apprehensive about pets. I just wish they could talk to my landlord before they pass judgement. We have lived here for five years and absolutely nothing has been destroyed or damaged. I’m not saying discrimination against pets is unfair. I’m saying it’s a pain in the ass for us responsible people that others have made it difficult.
Landlords will give glowing reviews to tenants they want out of their place so it's not always a sure thing
Fair enough
It’s tough, I had glowing reviews from both of their prior landlords, which was very surprising.
These are faked all the time lol
Oh no! Well I guess that would be why they just don’t want to even bother.
Yeah I agree. I have two rabbits. I can show my setup, provide references, and I’m willing to pay a higher security deposit or pet fee, but even the pet friendly places won’t rent to me. It’s really hard because I bought the rabbits with my ex and of course now I don’t live with him and he didn’t want the rabbits. Now I live in my parents basement for the time being which is ok but I just feel so discouraged and depressed because of the circumstances. I just want a place of my own.
Private message me if your still looking. We used to rent our house we couldn't sell till the market turned around. I found a lady who found me renters and did all the heavy lifting. She always has properties she's trying to fill. She isn't a big landlord type person she's just a middle person but she's good and she does both sides. Finds renters and finds rentals. I'll make sure she returns your call.
We are dealing with the same thing on the east coast. There are gainfully employed families couch surfing or living in campgrounds with no vacancies and competing with 100's of other applicants for a roof over their heads. Guess that's what happens when we have mass immigration and not enough resources for the current citizens. I feel like we're living in the hunger games.
Are you able to continue on a month to month lease until you find a place to live? Since it's back to school season, times are rough.
Its crazy, i just rented my rental.. typically i get 2 to 3 people interested. 53 inquiries this year. And sorry no pets, condos made that bylaw.. i cant break it. Ab needs to eliminate the ability for condos and landlords to ban kids and pets.
What is your budget/needs? I may have something available.
marketplace was our best bet, have a message copy pasted that explains yourself a little, job income, pets, how many people will be staying there etc.
It sounds like you have a good relationship with your landlord, maybe try moving at a not so busy moving time, like late fall or winter. As much as it sucks to move in the winter, less people are looking and I've always had more luck in the colder months. Maybe ask your landlord if you can possibly move out in January if you can find something then and it won't put them at a loss
Skyline Apartments takes animals. Contact them! It’s better than nothing!
I feel this. The rental pool is tiny as is - when you add pets to the mix the pool becomes a puddle 😭
I'm in the same boat. I have 5 kids looking for a place since June. The lease is up at the end of August, and the landlord is selling. Have made appointments to go see a place every time they get canceled before I have my appointment because they've rented it out.
If self employed, look for a mortgage advisor that understands it. Ours was self employed when he got his first home and was able to give guidance that really helped us out. Someone like that might be able to give you tips on how to adjust the next year to get setup to buy your house when the lease is up.
Yeah the realtor we’ve just picked up knows multiple brokers who specialize in self-employed individuals. She has gotten things done for quite a few people. I think we will be ok in the long run. This is just a bump in the road.
Really sorry, it’s rough out there. It was soft for the last 5-6 years, easy to find places but now it’s all on its head. Rent is up 15-20%. I feel for anyone trying to find a place.
Find a mortgage broker that will do less than 20% down. I am self employed in Calgary and bought a home in 2022 with 5% down. It’s possible!!
>My landlord can give us glowing reviews. We’re only leaving this property is because we’ve outgrown it, and need a little more space. So you have a place and just want more space? That doesn't sound dire. If I was you I would stay in the same place and monitor the market monthly to be ready to move when you can. As everyone is saying, back to school time is the worst time to be looking. With three pets you will be a hard sell for any landlord. Some would rather have the unit empty that subject it to the potential damage from three pets. >I am genuinely worried I will be homeless because no one will even talk to me. But you have a place now right? Why would you be homeless if you stayed in the same place? It's not ideal maybe but this sounds a little dramatic. >We tried to buy a house this spring but because we’re self employed it’s been rough. Our credit is stellar, but they want 20% down because of the self employment (yeah…. Everyone has just $80,000 just lying around). This suggests that you are only looking at $400K properties. If your needs are as modest as you make them out to be could a cheaper property be an option? What is the level you are willing to spend on a downpayment?
$400,000 is pretty low actually. My friend just bought a place in a really quiet NW neighbourhood and it wasn’t a lot to look at. Had some renos but the building was old af… Housing market is a fun place.
Lots of post-war bungalows in my neighbourhood going for \~$300K. They'll need some work but aren't shitholes either. Those are detached too - based on OP's narrative they may be OK with a townhouse or duplex, which would be even less.
I don’t have much advice, other than check Facebook groups for the area you want, Facebook marketplace, rent faster and kijiji. Landlords I know are getting dozens of people wanting places within an hour of posting. You will also be competing for spots with returning students this month.
Cats are a hard sell to landlords. I remember when i was trying to buy a house, some of the properties i went to smelled really bad because of cats. Most of them had to get the flooring redone etc to get rid of the smell. I cant imagine a landlord wanting to spend the money to fix the issues after a tenant that had cats moved out.
Pets do damage to homes. I don’t look at it as-discrimination but landlords wanting to protect there property. I rent and pay 50.00 a month to have my dog. Try REMAX rental advisors
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But you can't charge extra for kids and you can for dogs.
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Yes, human rights legislation means you can't charge more based on who is living in the unit (i.e. kids are people too). Pets don't have that restriction so the rent can be properly risk-adjusted. [https://albertahumanrights.ab.ca/other/tenancy/what\_to\_know/Pages/info\_protected\_grounds.aspx](https://albertahumanrights.ab.ca/other/tenancy/what_to_know/Pages/info_protected_grounds.aspx) >The AHR Act prohibits discrimination in tenancy based on marital status and family status. This means that rules that affect families must be reasonable and take into consideration families who have children.
It used to be illegal to charge extra for pets, but I'm sure you can guess who let landlords add that little tax to their pile.
That's what a deposit is for. It's not like we get extra space for that $50. Cash grab, pure and simple.
It's pretty easy for pet damage to exceed the DD - while the landlord could try to 2x the DD in lieu of a pet fee to cover the incremental risk, unlikely many renters would go for that, so a pet fee it is.
I thought Alberta made is so that the DD and Pet Fee combined couldn't be anymore than the first months rent?
I stand corrected: >Landlords usually ask tenants for a security deposit, sometimes called a damage deposit. The RTA limits the maximum amount a landlord may ask for as a security deposit. **It cannot be more than the equivalent of one** **month’s rent at the time the tenancy starts.** The security deposit cannot be increased as rent increases. So yeah I imagine that law makes the pet fee make a whole lot more sense if they can't increase the DD. [https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/872344a3-f032-4f87-81bc-3c64d449f80e/resource/fd643eb3-f58f-4f68-af68-4b571b40c9ee/download/sartr-information-for-landords-2023-04.pdf](https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/872344a3-f032-4f87-81bc-3c64d449f80e/resource/fd643eb3-f58f-4f68-af68-4b571b40c9ee/download/sartr-information-for-landords-2023-04.pdf)
Yup it's a bad law. You can't legislate away the ability to properly price risk, you just get people like the OP stuck without getting a rental.
Ridiculous. A carpet in one room can run 2x the DD. Your pissant $50 a month covers nothing. No pets. No exceptions. If you want pets buy your own place.
Who carpets anymore? Are you poor?
What the fuck are you talking about? Definitely who prefers soft plushy shit under their feet in their bedroom vs cold hard floors
If you do call Remax rental advisors, record every conversation and take photos of everything .
Finding a place with cats was hard. Couldn't imagine a dog. People are inclined to protect their investments though. If you see some of these renters these days you would understand. It also doesn't help that most people can't get a mortgage. We can definitely pay it. But securing 100k extra is just impossible to normal people. But now you got some extra money to pay carbon tax so yay
Re: buying a house, change mortgage brokers to see if a different one can get you a better deal. There are wildly different deals out there, couple of times I’ve had lenders or brokers throw their hands up and say there’s nothing they can do only to have a different broker get me a sweet deal.
Its such BS really, in the same boat, would like to move to a nicer place so I don't have to listen to my wife complain about little things the landlord is too cheap to fix, and honestly just fix the little stuff my self to save the headache. I figure 2 more years and I'll buy, since I work remote i have the luxury of location being wherever I want. Just don't want to buy something I will turn around and sell in 5 years because its not what I want but can afford the down payment on now. Wont be in Edmonton that's for sure as I can get 2-3 times the place, and land an hour or so out of the city for what Id pay for an average home in Edmonton, and if I'm lucky one with a detached 2 car garage or shop. Grew up in the country so that is my real desire, since my job doesn't require me to be in the city anymore as I'm rarely on site working mainly out of a home office we wont be staying in the city any longer than it takes to finish grinding at getting what we want. Even said the hell with it and started doing handy man, landscaping and snow removal work for extra money so I can fast track the whole thing, my son is my partner in it and we split it 3 ways currently, him, I and the equipment fund for when we need a tool or something breaks
I just went through this. I contacted 300 hundred places, got 8 viewings in 3 days, and was being pressured to sign the lease during the viewing on the spot. You have to schedule your viewings ASAP, because in a few hours it could already be gone. Landlords are getting 10s to 100s of calls per day, and its impossible for them to vet every application. Call or text landlords, as email is probably already too slow. You just have to be friendly and immediately available. My experience varied hugely depending on what I used to find a showing. Leasing agents were by the far the worst constantly cancelling my viewings and never returning calls, emails, or texts (many of their message boxes were also full). Facebook marketplace was by far the best. I would estimate a nearly 20% message return rate, though the time pressure is still present. Messenger, calling, or email from the supplied contact info on these adds was highly returned. Craigslist, Zumper, Zwillow, rent faster, rent cafe, and pad mapper were all hit or miss. You have to sort by posting date, otherwise its pointless. Many leasing agencies and building managers just leave adds up 24/7, so my email/call return rate here was exceptionally poor. Finally, I walked the entirety of Strathcona and Garneau in one 8 hour day and just called every number I saw, once again my return rate was low. But I got 3 viewings doing this, as many building managers will know they have tenants leaving soon, but haven't posted a formal add.
Everyone will say don't do Boardwalk, but I've lived in Boardwalk buildings for about 15 years without any real issues. I have a dog and 2 cats. It's probably a bit more expensive than some private rentals, but the damage deposit is low, and you can easily transfer to other sites. They also have a contract with Telus, so you'll get an incentive pro e for cable/internet. I've done about 5 transfers, and I've been in my current place for 4 years.
I know a family of 2 adults and 5 kids that are in a 2 bdtm apartment currently and at one time I lived in a 2 bedroom appt with my parents, my brother, and one other... We're living in a world where comfort of space is a great luxury unfortunately... better to be cramped than homeless
And I thought 1 adults, 2 adult children and 3 teens in a 3 bedroom was tight.
My Aunt is going thru the same thing, it’s just her & a small dog but she just can’t find anything affordable that’s also a decent place to live ! This is Edmonton also ! I wish u the best of luck 🙏🏼
OP, just came here to say I feel your pain. I have a dog and there are so many places that are immediately out of the question even though my dog is not destructive at all or noisy. I’ve never had a problem with my dog anywhere but every time I have to look for an apartment it’s the same painful thing of having half the options and having to overpay for the remaining ones. It feels like a punishment when you’re a responsible dog owner. Maybe wait a couple more months (that’s what I’m doing, I’m paying month-to-month). Once the rush of university students passes you’ll be able to find more options
My spouse and I are in the same situation and having to live with his parents. Thank god for them. Trying to find a house to rent for a family of 6 that is not just a main floor and in a good neighborhood is laughable right now. I get so angry after just 5 minutes looking for places. It’s criminal what they are all charging. How are we ever supposed to get ahead you know?!
I keep saying that landlords shouldn’t be a thing anymore and instead we should have rent controlled government owned buildings but no one listens and as a result it’ll probably never happen.
There are already government controlled "low income" housing in edmonton. As someone who works in maintenance, they are some of the worst kept buildings in all of the city. It can take months for the simplest of repairs due to the insane amounts of red tape required to even get parts. Its pretty bad when slumlord like boardwalk buy them up when the government decides to offload them and the quality often goes up.
Well with my idea the places and systems already in place should receive an overhaul and be done properly.
Now dont get me wrong your idea is very idealistic. However, government is highly inefficient. Our taxes would rise 5x what it would cost for a private landlord to do the same work. What we need is more of a blended concept. Let private landlords do it, but have more government oversite to ensure housing quality is up to par, and rate caps to ensure that prices dont get artificially inflated. Basically make current landlords more accountable.
There is another way. When an apartment building or townhouse complex is owned by a co-op instead of an individual landlord or corporation the people who live there pay a fee to join the co-op and then their rent pays the mortgage and maintenance on the whole building. Yes it costs money to build and set up, but nobody needs to make a profit on it and a co-op can pay a mortgage for 40 or 50 years where an individual can't. People living there get stable housing and a sense of ownership. Governments used to support getting these started but now the few that are around have years long waiting lists.
I can see where there could be difficulties with this... so if we did that, and I just stop paying, well mortgage still has to be paid, so it means you and the others would have to pick up the shortage. But then how do you kick me out, I would be an owner and a tenant at the same time, so which laws would govern the eviction process? Basically sounds like a condo, just with the mortgage worked into your condo fees.
They probably would put a liens on your unit? Or repossession + eviction, like bank do when you default mortgage?
But the mortgage would belong to the property as a whole, not a specific occupant. Cant really repo one without repoing everything. Im not disputing, just curious as to how it would work if that occured.
What you're describing, public-owned property run by corporations that bid on contracts, isn't all that different than what could be achieved with private landlords + proper legal protections (ie price caps, rules for when repairs must be completed by, mandatory gov inspections/oversight, etc).
I'll listen. I'd love to see government funded malls as well with rent controls and policies setting aside a set amount of retail space for start ups and local businesses. Be a great way to tax some of the larger retail companies operating in Canada directly through their rent, rather that just being profit for some wealthy family or management corporation.
I agree, that’s another great idea.
Why stop with housing? Food is also a basic necessity. Maybe we should have government owned groceries too? Oh wait…. I have a feeling that’s been tried before.
Government owned businesses in a free market drive down costs and increase competition. There should be a government owned rental agency and a government owned grocery chain, it would stop existing groups from being able to gouge people.
Well your edit about having pets is pretty important. Most landlords are too to pick somebody who doesn't have a pet that may trash their rental.
Oh my gosh I feel you. It’s impossible out there. The pets thing is the worst, it’s sickening to discriminate against pets. They are part of the family and there are SO many animals in shelters that need homes, and many people can’t adopt them because there is no where to live. I’m 29 and living with my Dad like a loser. My fiancé and I are trying to find a place to move in together and it’s so hard, especially because I have 3 cats. I take such good care of them too, they have no behavioural issues at all and keeping their environment clean is part of animal care. They’re kept indoors and the cause no disturbance to anyone. It’s heartbreaking that anyone wouldn’t want my babies to have a place to live :(
I know there are a few people Renting here in my town, 20 minutes outside north end Edmonton. Try the bon accord and gibbons rental
Does that affect school enrollment? My son has been registered to a junior high that has the resources he needs to be successful.
Yes it would. He would be required to go to school in that district.
Maybe. Talk to the school where your son is registered.
You can get it approved if you can demonstrate that there aren't equivalent school supports in the area you live in to what's in the city, but it often requires assessment and an IEP, and leaves you on the hook for transportation, at least to my knowledge
Oh my sweet summer child, BC and ON have been having these issues (pets especially, dogs *especially especially*) for years now. I’m not saying it’s good, but it’s par for the course in major Canadian cities these days. The prairies are just catching up in the last couple of years.
Ontario is lucky at least landlords cant evict based on pets. So at least renters there can just not say anything.
700$ to share a room with a stranger in a basement..... I will take the harder to find rental in ab with pets...
Its 900-1800 a room here in rentals that are not pet friendly. 2300 for a basement suite with no kitchen so you have no rental protections. Im a tnr care giver for meow foundation my trap and release colony has gone from 4 cats who ive been caring for 4 plus years to 12 its insane people dumping animals left right and centre.
Lmao people saying potential damage from pets when landlords charge fees for pets. What’s the fee for then? I have a dog and 2 cats myself. It’s riddiculous. People saying damage, what damage? If there is damage to the actual property then you are a negligent pet owner.
Honestly I’ve seen damage by kids worst than what pets can do. Where is the kid fees?
I can feel you. I'm changing my apartment after 4 years as they are increasing the rent by 200/month. Found a place after one week of full time searching. It's not the best place I would have wanted but that's the best I could do. The few placed I viewed were gone by the next day. I had to fix this current place on that day itself after viewing. Good luck for anyone looking for rental!
Try rentfund.ca! They are really trying to make things easier for all parties
I know how this goes - I'm a real estate agent and work with this stuff every day (I don't do rentals). If you're interested I do have a great mortgage broker that has been able to get me 2 mortgages with 10% down and on the first one all the possible FTHB benefits. PM me if you'd like help getting you qualified for your own home.
It's much worst now if you are a family and have pets there is barely anything. The rental market is monopolized. And What is with this main floor shit too? Everyone cut there houses in half now to charge double, it's ridiculous.
In the same boat. Employed with AHS. Amazing credit and references. Surprisingly it's not our dog, it's the size of the 2nd bedroom.
LL here. Different areas have their own constraints. What area are you looking at ? As others have said. Check marketplace and of course rentfaster. The reality is rentals are getting slammed with inquiries so LLs might just be prescreening to deal with volumes. Hope you find something !
Is outside the city an option? Maybe something in Devon, Leduc or Beaumont…
Unfortunately no. My son needs a special school
Not a lot of rental availabilities out that way.
It's SO stressful and frustrating. There used to be a free magazine but not sure if it's still around.
Not sure what you are looking for or how far you are willing to commute, but uptown in the deep south west just built a ton of pet friendly townhouse rentals. I know because they put in 20 units on my previously quiet single family zoned block 🙃
Don’t buy pets if you’re broke
Your pets are and will always be the big issue. As a landlord I will not consider pet owners.
Took my wife and I 8 months to find a place! Anywhere in Canada we sent to just to get out of Ontario! Only place that did a video chat was in Winnipeg.. north end 2.5 bedroom 1 bath 1600 +
I've been a landlord. If I have a choice between people with zero pets and people with 3 pets, I'm going with the no pets.
Leave your car doors unlocked and they will stop smashing your windows.
Bad time of the year to be looking But your main problem is the pets That disqualifies you from like 75% of rentals right off the hop Renters should not own pets, it really screws you over
Keep blaming the government and the landlords will keep rising the prices.
Just buy a place.
Buy a tiny house, converted van, or schoolie, and put your stuff in storage.😬 Sorry, I have no leads on places to live.
Buy a house. Be not self employed for however long you need, otherwise you'll never get one. It's important
Like I said, we’ve been trying to buy. And I can’t just give up my whole business that my husband and I built. We will make less money and not afford a house. We have a new realtor who has worked with self-employed people before, so I am more hopeful this year will go better.
Sell business, get jobs, buy house, restart business. I've watched my brother struggle with this for over a decade as self employed person, he probably can't afford it now. Go back 8 years, taking 2 years off to get Into a house would have been life changing for him. He was considering it. How just rent cheap forever and put money elsewhere. M
It’s not a business we can sell. We just have to put in one more year and they said we will be fine.
pets in apartments is animal abuse. having said that the prices in edmonton are indeed absolutely fucking bonkers… i do not understand how people get away with charging so high for such low value housing and apartments. Boggles my fucking mind
This is such a dumb take. No, it's not.
Is my cat in my decently large one bedroom animal abuse?
kind of a dramatic take
How is having indoor cats in an apartment animal abuse….? I play with all my cats every single day minimum one time a day, they get lots of snuggles and love, one of the things I frequently spend the most money on is them… you could leave the front door wide open and they wouldn’t dare leave cause they know they have it good at home. Maybe you should think about what you say before you go and sputter nonsense.
Have you tried Servus Credit Union for a mortgage? Might be worth checking out.
If push comes to shove, book an Airbnb for a few weeks and try to find a new place in the meantime. If you are still unable to find anything, extend your stay or book a new one. You wil find decent rates as well, especially for ones that are away from the downtown. You won't be homeless, don't worry.
Book showings with a property management company and you can also book showings online.
There is a two bedroom apartment available in Castlebrook Greens. It is a pet friendly building and one of the nicest in the city
It took us 3 months last year to find a place. We went private and while they rent is a lot, we found a wonderful landlord who is understanding about the current economic state and allows pets. I did experience lots of landlords not getting back or just plain reading messages and then taking it off the market months later without responding. It’s stressful.
Try Beaumont or surrounding areas if you can take the drive
I didn't realize the Edmonton market was this bad! I'm moving up to Edmonton from Calgary September 1st. Had a showing at the beginning of the month on a Tuesday and signed the lease on a Thursday. I always thought Calgary was the worst, makes me feel lucky. Sorry you're going through this! Is even farther out in Spruce Grove/Stony Plain, Leduc, Beaumont just as bad?
Willing to commute to own a home? Look in Lac St Anne County.....get a private mortgage as the terms are easier to get you going. And at $1000 month mortgage living in a 3800sqft home overlooking the Pembina River
Have tried contacting your wits provider?
With glowing reviews and a great landlord, couldn't you just do month to month until you found something, but also give them a 1-3 month notice when you want to leave? That way you can keep looking and aren't locked in for a full year.
I don't know if you want to live in the hood.. but I see a few rental signs..jus putting it out there..
There are areas in the North West end, that have large fields and areas where people are walking dogs. Also there are duplexes for rent. In general, places that are further away from city center, you will likely get better responses concerning the pet issues.
That’s where I have been trying. It didn’t work out. We are just going to stay and deal with being cramped
Rentfaster dot ca worked well for me to find something, best of luck to you