2024-2025 Student Resource Handbook

16 scammers are looking to try and get your money up front, and move on to the next victim. Here are some tips to ensure you are not taken advantage of: Ask To See The Property In Person If the owner or agent refuses to give you access to the rental unit, ask the reason why. If they cannot give you a believable answer, such as it is under renovation or repair, or that the previous tenants have not moved out, get them to schedule a date further into the foreseeable future. Then if they still deny attempts to view the property, consider it a scam and move on to the next rental prospect. T hey W ant Y our M oney U p F ront Western Union, online money transfer, or money order should raise a red flag to you. Paying for any rental unit up front is not a common practice. Usually, the landlord will inform you that you have been granted use of the rental property, ask you to meet to sign a lease, and payment is given in the form of a cheque. Payment of the last months rent is normally provided upon signing the lease and not before. It’s Too Good To Be True Any large, two bedroom apartment for less than $1,000 a month offered in a great area, close to LOOKING FOR ACCOMMODATION Living off campus for your first year is an option should dorms not be satisfactory. Here are some tips to use when looking for accommodations. • • • • • • • • Get To Know The Area If you do not know very much about the area you are moving to, try to check it out before you arrive, either at an open day or by asking your student housing officer for information about districts and travelling time to your campus. If you are thinking of sharing, keep in mind that most student houses have usually between three and six bedrooms. With more people, it might be worth splitting the group when your trying to find somewhere suitable. HOW TO AVOID BEING SCAMMED ONLINE When looking for a rental, a lot of people would turn to online sites. It is an easy and quick way to find a place. However, many times the rental ads on these sites turn out to be harmful scams. The Set a price range with an absolute maximum. What types of housing you want (A room in a family home, an apartment or a student house). Make a list of the features that you absolutely need and can’t live without (like a washer and dryer in the house). Also list some things that you really want but can live without (like a dishwasher, AC, patio, or deck). You could also do the opposite and list things you don’t want such as (smoking, pets, a house on a busy, loud street). Figure out how far away you want to be from the school. If taking the bus, do you want to be one bus away or would you be okay with taking two with a transfer, or bus and subway? Would you rather have all utilities included in the rent, or do you have the option to pay those separately on a month to month basis? How many people do you want to live with? Closesthotel toSheridanCollegeOakvilleCampus 590 Argus Road Oakville ON. L6J 5V2 Tel: 905-842-5000 Fax: 905-842-9281 Toll Free: 1800-842-0092 Email: dos@hioakville.com Web: www.hioakville.com Oakville@Trafalgar