Rent a flat or a house in Ottawa

Hello I will try to switch on some light on this topic.

Is it hard to find a flat or a house for rent in Ottawa?

Not  really hard, everyday there is announcement for an apartment to rent. I can also say there is a huge choice of apartment and area to live in.
Just by walking in some areas you could see "Vaccant", "To rent", in many places.


How to find a home in Ottawa: classifieds, real estate portals, real estate agencies?

The web sites are mostly the most useful and really helpful. I used mostly kijiji.com and craiglist.com of Ottawa. You can at least take a look so as to have an idea about how much cost rent.
The best is to have a map of Ottawa and to take a look at the website of OC-Transpo (the public bus transportation of the city) in order to have an idea about the Buses lines, it's helpful to know which area are most served by bus.


How much is the rental for a house, an apartment?

That's depend on the apartment ( one bedroom, two bedroom, etc…), the area, Gloucester, Kanata, down-town, etc… the availability of transportations, amenities, etc…
So on one word the price of renting depends on the size of the apartment and where it is located. It will be higher if the services are included (heat, electricity, oven, fridge, etc…).

A particularity here in Ottawa is that : we must pay two month rent right at the beginning, somehow it's like we pay the first and last months.

Here is an idea about the average rent in some Canadian cities (statistics of 2006):
http://img804.imageshack.us/img804/9125 … housin.png

And here are some examples of the rent in Ottawa :

$800 / 1br - Newly renovated basement apartment available September 1st.:
Great west end location, quiet street near bike paths and NCC parkland, shopping, transit way and minutes to downtown. New kitchen with island, pot lighting and lots of cupboard space. Completely renovated large bath with tub/shower and ceramic. Includes laundry facilities, fridge and stove. House is air-conditioned, private entrance, ample parking, large deck, gazebo and for your enjoyment. Looking for a young professional or student, non-smoker, no pets and references. Heat, hydro, water, cable & internet split with upstairs tenant.
Adress : connaught ave at carling
Pictures of the apartment:
http://img708.imageshack.us/img708/4339/rent1.jpghttp://img41.imageshack.us/img41/5683/rent2.jpg

$950 / 1br - 1 bdrm Byward Market a/c included (Clarence/Dalhousie)
2nd unit available in Triplex. Great apartment, ideal for single student or professional in a heritage house. On the ground floor with private entrance. Combination living room and kitchen, with separate bedroom and full bathroom.
New and original 100+ year old wood floors. Very secure and safe, with locked gate access to yard and motion+flood lighting. 2 laundromats within one block, and no pets or smoking allowed due to allergies.
$950/month includes everyting you need: central heat and air conditioning (A/C), hydro, and water. Available for Sept 1st Parking available in September for $100/month.
Clarence St between Dalhousie St and Cumberland
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/4/rent3.jpg/#

$925 / 1br - 10 Minutes from Downtown -1BDRM Apartments
-Only 10 minutes from downtown !
Surrounded by a variety of amenities including: public transportation, restaurants and shops. This is a great property for those looking to be close to the city center without paying downtown rates.
Available to rent September 1st!
Features and amenities:
- Secure access building
- Renovated Common Areas
- Fridge and Stove
- Onsite Laundry and Storage Rooms
- Onsite Superintendent
- 24 Hour Emergency Service

From $925/month plus Hydro
Outdoor parking available for $45/month
Adress : 57 Bayswater Ave
http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/7201/rent5.jpghttp://img232.imageshack.us/img232/1809/rent6.jpghttp://img35.imageshack.us/img35/3528/rent7.jpghttp://img696.imageshack.us/img696/544/rent8.jpg


What are the formalities or the required documents for renting an accommodation?

Well as you visit the apartment and you agreed you and the landlord about it, you have to have an ID piece, and the landlord would appreciate if you show him a document that prove you work or you have sufficient money to cover your monthly expenses, but you are not obliged to show it to him.


Which advice would you give?

Well it's better to check for an appartment long time ago before to arrive and contact landlord by phone directly without wasting time .
At the same time to make comparisons of apartments in order to choose the most suitable for ourselves.
Taking into consideration the neighborhood where the apartment is located in.

Hope I helped by my modest contribution.

Abdel