With many university students in this millennial demographic who are carrying debt as they make their way through university preparing for a career, renting an apartment with one of more roommates is a more popular choice for many.

Rob Carrick offers great financial tips for millennials, also known as the Gen Y generation, with advice for paying down debt, renting vs. buying, and more great tips worth reading.

The RentSeeker.ca Team looked at what millennials are looking for when apartment hunting and here is some information about the “millennial market”  and some of the features most-in-demand for Gen Y’ers when searching for rentals –   presented in another great INFOGRAPHIC by RentSeeker.ca:

Easy, Breezy Moving:

Let’s face it – no one likes moving. Lugging couches up flights of stairs is a chore that we’d all like to avoid. With furnished apartments, there is no huffing and puffing and struggling to fit your coffee table into an elevator – the furniture is already set up and waiting for you to come in and relax. There’s no need to worry about renting a truck or hiring a moving company, either. All you need to think about is bringing in your personal possessions, like clothes and books, while everything else is already there for you. Many furnished apartments even come complete with a fully stocked kitchen, including plates, glasses and cutlery. Instead of it taking months for you to get settled in, you’ll be living large in only a day or two. It doesn’t get any better than that.

First Apartment? No Problem!:

Ah, the first apartment move. It can be stressful trying to find the perfect place to live, let alone figuring out how you’re going to afford all that brand new furniture. This conundrum is particularly acute for students, who generally have their attention focused elsewhere (like studying for that mid-term). Wouldn’t it be nice to just move in and have your bed, television and microwave already there? Furnished apartments will afford you that luxury and help to reduce the impact that buying furniture would have on your financial bottom line.

Bright Lights, Big City:

If you’re one of the many people who has to move to a new city for work, you already know what a headache it is to arrange shipping your furnishings for a long-haul move. With a furnished apartment, you can ensure that getting settled in your new city is simply a matter of figuring out the public transit system. Further, if you plan on bringing out your own furniture at a later date but need to start your new job right away, furnished apartments help you through the transition phase of the move. Whether you live there for only a few months or for a year, a furnished apartment gives you a comfortable place to hang your hat at night while you sort out the logistics of the big (eventual) move.

Decor for Dummies:

If decorating is not your forte, furnished apartments will be right up your alley. Having an apartment with art on the walls and little knick-knacks scattered throughout is what really makes it feel like a home. Bare walls give the feeling of temporariness, while tasteful decor gives your apartment that lived-in vibe. The vast majority of furnished apartments come finished with decorations already in place. While they may not necessarily be completely your taste, it is comforting to move into an apartment that has a ready-made homey feeling.

If you’ve made the decision to go for a furnished apartment, you’ll probably want to make it feel like your own once you move in. Apartment Therapy shows you the way in their piece “Making a Furnished Sublet Feel Like Home”:

1) When you put all your things in storage, leave out some photos, books, your favorite lamp shade, kitchen items you use often – just any of your favorite home decor items. Place these things in your sublet and surround yourself with familiar things.

2) Rearrange the space to your liking. If you need more space in the bedroom, turn the bed the other way or, if you don’t love the decor, place it in a closet during your stay. Just take photos of the place before you move or change anything so you can put it all back when your lease is up.

3) Buy some plants for your space. Nothing fancy – just buy a few plants and place them in your temporary home. This will give you the feeling that you are “making a home” for a little while.

4) Use your own bedding. Even though a furnished sublet should come with everything, including bedding and towels, consider bringing or buying your own.

5) Entertain friends. Once you are settled in, invite some friends over for some wine or a small dinner party. Entertaining is a great way to feel comfortable and having close friends around you will make you feel good.

6) Unpack everything you brought with you. Forget leaving your things in your suitcase or boxes. Unpack all of your things, find a new home for them and store your suitcase and boxes for when you leave. You’ll feel better immediately.

You can find both furnished apartments and unfurnished bachelor 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments on RentSeeker.ca, so start your search online today!

One-bedroom, two-bedroom, three-bedroom…or more? What about dens, enclosed balconies and extra bathrooms? With so many apartment sizes to choose from these days, it can be difficult to determine which one is best for you. But with our handy guide, you will be able to choose the perfect apartment to suit your lifestyle.

Number of Residents

This seems like a no-brainer, but you first have to determine exactly how many people will be staying in the apartment on a regular basis. Yes, you may be living alone, but will you often have guests? Does family come to visit you? If yes, you will want to ensure you have a one-bedroom with a den or a two-bedroom. This gives you that extra bit of room to ensure comfort for everyone – and that you don’t end up breathing down each other’s necks.

Expanding Your Family

Perhaps you are a recently married couple and think that a one-bedroom is all you need. But do you have any plans to expand your family to include a little bundle of joy? If the answer is yes, and you don’t want to worry about moving while pregnant, invest in a two-bedroom suite now. This will save you the headache of having to find a new place to live when all you want to do is prepare your home for your little one.

Burning the Candle at Both Ends

Do you live by yourself but find that you are so busy you are hardly at home? Does spending a lot of money on an apartment you really only sleep in seem frivolous? Then a studio apartment would be a perfect fit for you. You’ll get all of the amenities you require to live comfortably, but at a reduced price (AND the upkeep is much easier to maintain).

Fido’s Comfort

If you have a dog, particularly a large dog, you’ll need to factor in their needs for your apartment search. If Fido needs room to stretch his legs, you’ll want to get an apartment with higher square footage than usual. This may mean a one or two-bedroom plus a den, or even a penthouse suite. Remember that the comfort of your pet will not only affect you, but it will affect your neighbours. If your dog is unhappy, he will let you know about it (and alert everyone else, too!).

Making a list of your needs will help you when deciding what apartment type to rent. Keep this list handy when you are looking at rental listings online and when you go to view any suites. You want to be happy in your new home so you won’t have to worry about moving again when you realize that the size just isn’t right for you.

The RentSeeker.ca Team

Easy, Breezy Moving:

Let’s face it – no one likes moving. Lugging couches up flights of stairs is a chore that we’d all like to avoid. With furnished apartments, there is no huffing and puffing and struggling to fit your coffee table into an elevator – the furniture is already set up and waiting for you to come in and relax. There’s no need to worry about renting a truck or hiring a moving company, either. All you need to think about is bringing in your personal possessions, like clothes and books, while everything else is already there for you. Many furnished apartments even come complete with a fully stocked kitchen, including plates, glasses and cutlery. Instead of it taking months for you to get settled in, you’ll be living large in only a day or two. It doesn’t get any better than that.

First Apartment? No Problem!:

Ah, the first apartment move. It can be stressful trying to find the perfect place to live, let alone figuring out how you’re going to afford all that brand new furniture. This conundrum is particularly acute for students, who generally have their attention focused elsewhere (like studying for that mid-term). Wouldn’t it be nice to just move in and have your bed, television and microwave already there? Furnished apartments will afford you that luxury and help to reduce the impact that buying furniture would have on your financial bottom line.

Bright Lights, Big City:

If you’re one of the many people who has to move to a new city for work, you already know what a headache it is to arrange shipping your furnishings for a long-haul move. With a furnished apartment, you can ensure that getting settled in your new city is simply a matter of figuring out the public transit system. Further, if you plan on bringing out your own furniture at a later date but need to start your new job right away, furnished apartments help you through the transition phase of the move. Whether you live there for only a few months or for a year, a furnished apartment gives you a comfortable place to hang your hat at night while you sort out the logistics of the big (eventual) move.

Decor for Dummies:

If decorating is not your forte, furnished apartments will be right up your alley. Having an apartment with art on the walls and little knick-knacks scattered throughout is what really makes it feel like a home. Bare walls give the feeling of temporariness, while tasteful decor gives your apartment that lived-in vibe. The vast majority of furnished apartments come finished with decorations already in place. While they may not necessarily be completely your taste, it is comforting to move into an apartment that has a ready-made homey feeling.

If you’ve made the decision to go for a furnished apartment, you’ll probably want to make it feel like your own once you move in. Apartment Therapy shows you the way in their piece “Making a Furnished Sublet Feel Like Home”:

Is this your first apartment?

If yes, it may be an easier transition to move into an already furnished apartment.

The type of furniture you’ll generally find included in these suites are beds, kitchen tables, couches and televisions – in other words, all of the big, heavy stuff that you won’t have to move yourself.

Imagine how much easier moving day will be when all you have to worry about is a few boxes!

Transitional Phase:

Life happens, and sometimes you need to leave a situation you are in but are unable to take any furnishings with you.

Renting a furnished apartment will provide you with all the comforts of home while giving you time to save up the money to buy your own brand new furniture.

This might actually be pretty good value and is due to a number of reasons. In order to properly and fairly assess the value of a furnished apartment, it is worthwhile to understand the landlord or building manager’s perspective. From the owners perspective, an individual looking to rent a furnished apartment is someone who probably wants to be catered to, and is likely only there for a short time. S/He would probably expect that the utility bills be set up under the landlords name instead of having to deal with the headaches themselves. While this might not be the case in your particular circumstance, this is sometimes an assumption. Let’s break down some of the the cost factors and value:

• New Furniture

The Landlord will buy furniture to place into the apartment. This can range anywhere from a simple couch, table and chairs to full towel service, free TV and the more. Whatever it is, understand that the landlord has to charge more for these additional expenses

• Repairs.

You might be the nicest most considerate guy, the type of person that never puts down a glass without first placing a coaster; however the landlord will operate under the assumption that some furniture is bound to get damaged and will increase his price to cover any real or imagined damage. This might be able to negotiated, as some landlords would prefer a security deposit and if there are no damages would refund it at the end of the lease period. Consider if it would be easier to pay a lump sum upfront and possibly have it returned, or to pay a little more every month.

• Short term.

As we said, most furnished apartment rentals in the GTA as well as nearly everywhere are for the short(er) term, this means that in between every tenant, the landlord must go in to the apartment, and in most cases, paint all the walls, and hire professional contractors to enhance the suite appeal. In a typical unfurnished apartment rental, the tenant is usually there for a much longer period of time making theses checks more infrequent and thus less of an expense from an owners perspective.

• Utilities.

Sometimes a short term tenant does not want to deal with the hassle of setting up his or hers own account with electric hydro gas etc. The landlord will often set up the features under their name and estimate the approximate usage and / or by passing the bill on to the tenant. Many unfurnished apartment rentals in Toronto and other cities include hydro in the rent.

While the price of a furnished apartment will probably run you more money per month, the added benefit for short term renters, namely furniture, and also often better service might end up being worth it.

Here are a few pros and cons to consider before deciding on renting a furnished apartment:

Easy Monthly Bills:

Many furnished apartments are also advertised as being “all-inclusive”. This means that your heat, electricity and water are all wrapped up into your monthly rent charge.

In some cases, “all-inclusive” also means that cable and internet charges are added to your rent each month. These options are very attractive because you will never have to worry about surprise bills – you know exactly how much you’ll need to pay each month and you’ll only be paying it to one person (your landlord).

Lack of Choice:

A possible downside to renting a furnished apartment is that you will have zero say in what your furnishings look like. You could get a beautiful leather couch, but you could also get a couch that hasn’t been reupholstered since the eighties ????.

It’s important to look at the furnished apartment before you sign the lease, so you will know if you can live with these items or not.

Also, It’s a good idea to check with the landlord if you can bring in your own furnishings down the road.

Liability:

As with any apartment, you are liable for damage caused that isn’t regular wear-and-tear. With a furnished apartment, it’s important to note that you may be on the hook for replacement of furnishings. If something happens to them (like a large rip or a burn that was inflicted due to negligence). This can be costly if you are not careful.

Now, you decided to rent a furnished apartment rental, and are wondering what are some of things I need to ask and know. Well, our team here at RentSeeker.ca, came up with some ideas for you:

1. The first question you should ask is for them to give you an itemized list of the furniture that is included in the apartment and the condition that it is in. For example;

• Couches
• End tables
• Bed(s)
• Kitchen table
• Lamps
• Televisions
• Toaster ovens
• Chairs
• Microwave
• Dishes
• Cutlery
• Crib

and…well, you get the idea.

2. Another important question to ask is if the rent price includes the furniture or if there is a separate fee for that. You don’t want to move in only to realize that there is another fee on top of the one you are paying already.  Know how much the total bill would be at the end of every month!

3. Ask  if utilities are included. This can vary by Landlord, so make sure to ASK. The same holds true regarding cable TV, phone lines, etc,.

4. Ask  if there is a security deposit for the furniture. Some landlords instead of charging for repair will often ask for a deposit to cover any potential damage that might accrue. This can work out to your benefit as it means that if you are careful you wouldn’t have to pay anything for repairs. However the downside is that you have to give a lump sum in advance. This is often negotiable so ask your landlord what arrangements you can work out with them.

5. Find out what type of amenities the building and area offer. Sometimes  newer built  furnished property rentals will offer a higher standard of amenities and services on site.

These are some questions we came up with that you might wish to ask your landlord before you commit to  your  rental agreement. Think of your own questions and post them and share them on RentSeeker.ca on twitter: http://www.twitter.com/rentseeker — so that others can benefit from your ideas and experiences!

-The RentSeeker.ca Team

“Apartment Rentals Made Easy”

The Ups and Downs of renting an apartment in Downtown

If you’ve been looking to move into a new apartment and have always wondered if you should look for a location in the downtown district or in the suburbs, then this article is for you!

While looking to rent an apartment, whether, with a family, just married, or single, many of us have often wondered what it would be like to move into one of the modern-style, gleaming high-rise apartment buildings located in the downtown core. Sometimes we dream that it would be cool to move away from the suburbs, and relocate into the center of a bustling metropolis, but weren’t sure if it was really worth it. Check out Rentseeker’s top four picks for the “Ups and Downs” of renting an apartment in the Downtown!

At RentSeeker.ca we are always looking for new ways to better understand the apartment rental market and to better serve our clients and consumers. As we researched through news articles on apartment rentals in Toronto, we started thinking about how varied and diverse Toronto is as a cultural city. Apartments in Toronto can be found in virtually any location and neighbourhoods. So with all the bewildering choices that face every person new move, one of the big questions we always hear is, is it better to rent downtown or in the suburbs? Wherever you ultimately decide to rent, RentSeeker would like to offer a couple of pros and cons about Downtown apartment (and condo) living to enable you to better understand your choices before you commit to your new dream apartment rental.

Commuting

On the upside, probably the most often heard reason to live downtown is the virtual absence of commuting.

Imagine waking up in the morning at a decent hour and strolling to work instead of getting up an hour early to beat the rush hour traffic. Imagine not sitting behind someone on the freeway for 45 minutes of stop and go traffic, who thinks it’s cool to put the bass on high and belt some rock tunes before you’ve even had your morning coffee.

Imagine not having to leave work an hour late in order to wait 25 minutes in traffic instead of the average 45 minutes.

Living downtown is almost like an extra gift of two hours every day to your hectic schedule, enough time to take your boy/girlfriend, wife, partner or anyone you want to to a movie, dinner or just relax.

Noise

A major drawback for many people is the noise of colleges and parties that can wake up people in the building, including yourself and your family.

While if you’re a student that might not be such a bad thing, for many older people, this is a major inconvenience. If you are looking for a quiet apartment building, RentSeeker.ca offers a feature that allows you to check off your requirements for a building and only shows you the buildings that match your needs. In addition, many buildings often cater specifically to a senior crowd and often include many convenient amenities for their tenants that other buildings won’t have.

If you are a student, check out the RentSeeker.ca’s Student Rental Housing to learn which apartments are available to rent in Toronto and especially downtown Toronto (and cities across Canada), that are near your college or university.

Traffic

Another potential downside of renting an apartment in downtown Toronto or any major downtown metropolitan area is the constant, almost 24-hour snarl of traffic that often surrounds the apartment buildings. While your commute is now a walk, listening to the constant blaring of horns from irate drivers can often take the pleasure out of sleeping in late. Many apartment buildings are now being designed with an emphasis on noise reduction, especially in the apartment suites. However until the technique is perfected, living in the suburbs generally offers a more peaceful environment than living downtown.

Expenses

Living downtown comes at a cost though. Apartment managers in the downtown district often charge 2-3 times more than a typical suburban apartment rental. While this is a major consideration, it should be weighed carefully against the fact that you will be saving quite a bit in gas and especially time.  Calculate the time and expenses that you save for living near your work, against the extra fees you pay for living ion the downtown area, and see what makes sense for you.

Wherever you decide to rent, visit RentSeeker.ca to see apartment rentals in your area. Whether you’re looking for an apartment in the Kensington Market, or the Beaches, from the middle class to upper class, RentSeeker offers an array of professionally managed apartments for rent across Canada by Major Canadian Landlords. The decision is ultimately yours to make, but we hope that we here at Rentseeker have given you some food for thought, about some of the “Ups and Downs” of renting apartments in Downtown.

Good luck with your move!

The RentSeeker.ca Team