Canada Rentals Blog

Finding a roommate in Edmonton

Edmonton is a tough market for renters right now.   Anyone trying to find a place to live there has probably heard the word “no” or “not available” as the standard responses to most of their rental inquiries.   It is also very, very expensive to rent in Edmonton right now.   If you have a pet, or if you smoke, that complicates matters even more.

So why not try to find a roommate?   Sharing a place obviously means sacrificing privacy and space, but if you need a place right now, and money is tight, this may the way to go.  The economy of Canada is expected to tighten even more due to higher gas prices and grocery bills.  You can expect that this will trickle into rental prices, making the cost of living even higher than it is now.    Sharing a house or condo can make your dollars stay in your wallet a little longer.

Canadarentals.net will be partnering with Easyroomate in a few weeks to offer a roommate finding  service on this site.   We are excited, since Easyroomate is one of the premier roommate finding services in Canada.   We also encourage anyone with a room to rent, or anyone looking for a roomate to post a free ad on our Edmonton page.

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Canadian Real Estate Market Cooling

I have been reading that the Canadian real estate market is starting to cool, and that the boom is over.  A lot of new inventory on the market is causing home prices to fall, which is creating a lot of opportunity for the buyer.

What I want to know is how this might affect the rental market.  I suppose you could argue that if people are having a harder time selling their home due to higher competition, then might these same people resort to renting their home out and wait for a better market?    I live in a city where the real estate market is not great right now, and in the past year you just don’t see very many for sale signs out.   The rental market is seeing a surge though.

I seem to remember reading that the Edmonton rental market is seeing a higher vacancy rate than they have seen in a long time.    We’ll see how this all pans out!  I predict that the vacancy rate for rentals will slowly start to rise over the coming year.     The higher price of gas, and the resulting price of food and other items will make people want to put off any major investments for a while.

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Advertise Short Term Housing

I have had a few different people who manage or own corporate housing or short-term rentals in Canada place a photo ad with me, and have incredible success.   These folks paid for a full year, so they don’t have to worry about renewing every few months, and then I send them a reminder when their year is up.     For a full year photo ad on Canadarentals.net it is only $108 CAD.   That’s a pretty darn good deal considering that you get a google map, 5 photos, fraud detection info, and a custom mail form.     The people who have done this have all gotten numerous inquiries from their ads.   I am also developing a Corporate Housing section on the site that is starting to rank very well.

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Craigslist, Kijiji, and little old me

To return to the main ad posting page click here

It’s true - Canadarentals.net has some pretty darn good rankings, which is amazing since it has all been done by me, David - a stay-at-home dad. I have always been adept at developing rankings and traffic for my sites - all “white-hat” as they say - nothing done spammy or unethically.

In many cases, I rank right there with Craigslist or Kijiji (as of 6.3.08):

In many cases, I rank at the top (as of 6.3.08):

I have to say that both Craigslist and Kijiji are outstanding sites and obviously very successful. Both of them receive infinitely more traffic than my site does, but they both also have many more categories than my site (autos, for sale classifieds, etc). My site focuses on just property rentals. I am just happy to be able to do what I have done in just a few short years with Canadarentals.net, and ’swim in the same pond’ as some of these larger sites.

Anyways, thank you for using my site! I hope it brings you success in finding a renter or a rental.

~ David

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Who is Canada Rentals?

I finally decided to clear this matter up a little. I get e-mails frequently asking to speak to the president, tech support, marketing department, or just e-mails wondering who in the heck we are.

Well, Canada Rentals is a one-person show - me! My name is David, and I am the owner, tech support, editor, marketing and every other department. I started this site several years ago, and it has taken off beyond my highest expectations.

Although I enjoy the programming aspect of the site, I am more a person who has a knack for getting traffic and visitors, and respectable rankings in the search engines (ethically and organically!). I think this is of most value to anyone posting an ad on the site. The site is approaching a milestone 10,000 page views in one day! I also believe in a spam-free website. I know this is an ideal, but I do spend a lot of time blocking spammers and bad people from the site, and I try to make sure that each ad is a legitimate rental or renter. There is no way to be 100% with this, but I have made some great progress in this area.

I take a lot of satisfaction and enjoyment in helping people with their ads, and making sure there is a human connection with the site. From the comments I have received, people really appreciate this.

The photo below is of myself and my son (my wife is holding the camera).

To get back to the main site, click here.

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It’s Victoria Day and I’m working

Am I the only one working today?  Traffic seems down (naturally) on the site.  I guess the government is forcing (or strongly encouraging) people (most people) to take today off.    They gave a pretty stern warning to Sears because they opened several stores today.  Oops!

From the Canadian Press:

TORONTO — At least 10 Sears Canada (TSX:SCC) stores in Ontario opened their doors to the public on Monday, even though the provincial government warned the company that it would be against the law to do so on Victoria Day.

Fines for violating the retail act could range between $500 up to $50,000 but… said it was completely up to the police to act on complaints from the public and then act accordingly.

Guess I’ll go find a parade somewhere.

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Detecting Renter Fraud

The most powerful thing at your disposal to help detect if a potential “renter” is a fraudster is their IP address. The IP address is basically the user’s online “signature” that can tell you where a user is from geographically. Of course, if the user is from Nigeria, or out of the country, you would want to be very careful with any transactions.

A typical IP address looks like this: 41.220.75.3

To track where a user is from, I like to use this tool:

www.ip-adress.com/ipaddresstolocation/

It usually gives you one lookup per day without having an account. I signed up for an account (it is free) and you get several lookups per day. It is a great tool that will provide you with a map of where the IP address is from, and other valuable information.

IF YOU DO suspect that a fraudster or scammer is contacting you, please send us (Canadarentals.net) the information (IP address) and we will block them from using the site.

To return to the main site click here

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Advertise Summer Rentals In Canada

I had a really nice lady advertise her summer rental in Toronto with me recently.   I asked her how she found my site, and she said she typed in “Best place to find a summer rental in Canada.”   My site came up.

I think a lot of people don’t know that if they are going to be gone for several months during the summer for vacation, they can rent their house out while they are gone, and pay for a good part of their vacation.   On the flip side, if you are going on vacation, finding a few week or few month rental home would probably be cheaper than staying in a hotel.

It’s a win-win on both sides.  The biggest thing you would have to do is screen the potential renters so you don’t get ripped off.

At any rate, we welcome summer rental ads.  You can post one with photos, a google map, and much more by using our ad submission form here.

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Kanata Ontario Rentals

I finally added a page for Kanata, Ontario.   I have been receiving enough listings for this area that I thought that it now deserves it’s own page.  Until now, I just put them under Ottawa, since it is a close by major city.  However, Kanata has almost 100,000 people, and is growing rapidly, so I thought, what the heck.

At any rate, the new page for Kanata rentals is here

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The Rental Season Is Upon Us

I am sitting here writing this in a pair of shorts, and a t-shirt.   It is March 24, and it is just downright balmy from where I sit.  I imagine most folks across Canada are getting Spring Fever, and I know that many are planning on making a move to a different home or situation.   The vacancy rate in Canada is still pretty low, especially in places like Edmonton and Calgary.  However, you can still find a good rental if you are just persistent, and keep checking the site every day.  For landlords and property managers, I recommend placing a photo ad for your rentals.  I honestly am not saying that to make a quick buck - I know that photo ads get a lot more attention and will rent your place a lot quicker.   Remember, I have added google mapping to my photo ads - a feature not all other rental sites have.

At any rate, happy spring!   I hope everyone who is looking finds the perfect rental!

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Blocking spammers and scammers

I take fraud and spam very seriously, and I spend time every day blocking spammers and scammers from the website. I am able to catch spammers frequently, since every ad that comes in has an IP address with it. I am able to look at an IP address and usually tell if it is from one of the typical Spammer countries (like Nigeria, etc). Nigerian IP address almost always start in a 41, 82, or 83. When these ads come in, BANG - I block’em! It is great because I can also see how many times that they try to access the site after I have blocked them.

I also rely on the help of our users, and I do get e-mails from time to time telling me of a fraudulent ad on the site. I take these ads off immediately, and also then block the IP of the person who submitted the ad.

I have noticed that spam email and fraud attempts have dropped dramatically on the site over the time it has been in service.

I want to thank the person who submitted the following fraud alert recently:

I wanted to let you know that the following ad from your site is a fraud.The same type of scam was on another site that I almost got sucked into.

They claim to be living in West Africa and once you Western Union the money to them they will DHL the keys and documents to you. Fortunately,

I went to look at the house first and found him out.

03-Feb-08
Beautiful custom built 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath apartment .

You will enjoy uncompromising tranquility in this recently renovated, luxurious house surrounded by breathtaking and majestic trees.

You will love features like a gracious fenced and landscaped yard, dreamy custom kitchen, elegant floors, awesome master bedroom with walk

in closet and ensuite, fabulous basement development with generous family room, full bath and an adorable fireplace, exceptional work shop

and storage space. This unsurpassed home is in move-in condition and a new deluxe 2-car garage could be completed,The price is final

and includes everything-heat,gas,electricity,high speed internet,TV cable, underground parking,washer/dryer,twice a year window cleaning.

it is a very quiet area. Very close to main roads and bus stops, playground zones for children As you can see, this home was really created for you!
Steven
herbert.steven@yahoo.ca

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Liberals fleeing to Canada

From The Manitoba Herald

The flood of American liberals sneaking across the border into Canada has intensified in the past week, sparking calls for increased patrols to stop the illegal immigration. The actions of President Bush are prompting the exodus among left-leaning citizens who fear they’ll soon be required to hunt, pray, and agree with Bill O’Reilly.

Canadian border farmers say it’s not uncommon to see dozens of sociology professors, animal-rights activists and Unitarians crossing their fields at night. “I went out to milk the cows the other day, and there was a Hollywood producer huddled in the barn,” said Manitoba farmer Red Greenfield, whose acreage borders North Dakota. The producer was cold, exhausted and hungry. He asked me if I could spare a latte and some free-range chicken. When I said I didn’t have any, he left. Didn’t even get a chance to show him my screenplay, eh?” In an effort to stop the illegal aliens, Greenfield erected higher fences, but the liberals scaled them. So he tried installing speakers that blare Rush Limbaugh across the fields. “Not real effective,” he said. “The liberals still got through, and Rush annoyed the cows so much they wouldn’t give any milk.”

Officials are particularly concerned about smugglers who meet liberals near the Canadian border, pack them into Volvo station wagons, drive them across the border and leave them to fend for themselves.

“A lot of these people are not prepared for rugged conditions,” an Ontario border patrolman said. “I found one carload without a drop of drinking water. They did have a nice little Napa Valley cabernet, though.” When liberals are caught, they’re sent back across the border, often wailing loudly that they fear retribution from conservatives. Rumors have been circulating about the Bush administration establishing re-education camps in which liberals will be forced to drink domestic beer and watch NASCAR races. In recent days, liberals have turned to sometimes-ingenious ways of crossing the border. Some have taken to posing as senior citizens on bus trips to buy cheap Canadian prescription drugs. After catching a half-dozen young vegans disguised in powdered wigs, Canadian immigration authorities began stopping buses and quizzing the supposed senior-citizen passengers on Perry Como and Rosemary Clooney hits to prove they were alive in the ’50s.

“If they can’t identify the accordion player on TheLawrence Welk Show, we get suspicious about their age,” an official said.

Canadian citizens have complained that the illegalimmigrants are creating an organic-broccoli shortage and renting all the good Susan Sarandon movies. “I feel sorry for American liberals, but the Canadian economy just can’t support them,” an Ottawa resident said. “How many art-history majors does one country need?” In an effort to ease tensions between the United States and Canada , Vice President Dick Cheney met with the Canadian ambassador and pledged that the administration would take steps to reassure liberals.

A source close to Cheney said, “We’re going to have some Peter, Paul & Mary concerts. And we might put some endangered species on postage stamps. The President is determined to reach out.” he said.

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Vacancy rate in Edmonton on the rise

For the first time since 2002 apartment vacancies are seeing a slight increase - this according to  The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation.  Rates are at 1.5 percent, up from 1.2 percent at this same time last year.  This is good news that is clouded by the expectation that rents are going to increase  even more - by at least $100.

There are rentals out there, and my Edmonton page sees quite a bit of traffic, and is actually one of the most heavily used pages for listings on the entire site.   This may be a great time to make a move, since the holiday season is typically the slow season for renters!

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Spammers and the holidays

Boy, the spammers are really at it hard this year.  Seems like every December, the number of spam listings and emails more than doubles.   Bottomfeeders these people are!

I have to say that we are getting pretty good at blocking spammers from the site.   We still human-edit each and every listing on the site, and we check each ip address for each listing to see if it comes from a typically spammy country or ip range.   If it is a spammer, we block them from the site.   Every day we block 4-5 new ip addresses.

We take spam very seriously, and we are hoping that our efforts will minimize any unnecessary e-mails or worse, people becoming the victim of a rental scam.

Our number one tip when responding to an ad, or when sorting through responses from an ad that you placed on our site is to deal with the person…in person!   If anyone says that they can only conduct business online or through the mail, it is a sure bet they are trying to scam you.

Be careful, and we hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday season!

David

Canadarentals.net

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Furnished Suites and Extended Stay

I received an e-mail from someone today requesting that I put a section on the site for Furnished Suites and Extended Stay.   I already have a section for Corporate Housing on the site, and I thought that Extended stay fell under the same umbrella as corporate housing.  I did a little searching, and most other companies use “Extended Stay” and “Furnished Executive Suites” in their description of their corporate housing services.

To me, all of those phrases are geared toward the businessperson who has to visit another city for more than a few days for business or company purposes, and needs more amenities than a hotel would provide.  Most of these “Extended Stay” or Corporate Housing properties offer business centers, nicer or luxury appointments, and even valet parking and concierge services.

The person who e-mailed me asked if I would add Ottawa to that section, so today I am releasing a new page on the site for “Ottawa Corporate Housing.”  You can click here to view it.

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How do you find a place to live in Edmonton?

I was reading today in the Edmonton Sun that the vacancy rate is forecasted to fall below the current 1% level in 2008.  It isn’t uncommon for people to look for upwards of 6 months to find a place to live.  Naturally, this has driven rents up, forcing many people to work 2 or 3 jobs just to afford housing.

Renters are in the best shape if they go into the market sans kids or pets. Property managers and landlords can be choosy, and unfortunately that can lead to some discrimination.  Few places in Edmonton accept pets.

What’s the cause?  “A limited supply of new rental buildings is keeping the market tight, according to the CMHC’s outlook for Edmonton, released this week. Apartments being converted into condos is further keeping a stranglehold on renters.”

So how do you find a place in Edmonton? Unfortunately, there is no magic solution, and you may have to wait several months to secure housing.  However, one of the biggest keys to minimizing the wait is being persistent.  New homes and apartments do come up (at least on our site) daily, so try to be the first to call, and sell yourself well.  Good references are what a landlord really wants, and knowing that you will be a solid renter.

Figuring out what you are willing to compromise on will also broaden your opportunities.  You may have your heart set on living downtown, but in this tight market, would you be willing to commute 10 minutes? 15 minutes?

Another hard decision may be about your pet.   Can you possibly “board” your pet with a family member for a year?   Looking for a place is always easier when you already have one, so living without your pet for a year or 6 months to secure a living arrangement might give you the time you need to look for a better place without feeling as pressured.

Don’t give up, and check all listing sites frequently.   Although it may look a bit grim, new rentals become available every day.

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Really Bad Canadian Jokes

Seems like there are no shortage of really bad Canadian jokes out there.   “Groaners” as they may be referred to.  At any rate, let’s take a break from apartment hunting for some forced chuckles.   Please feel free to add a clean Canadian joke in the comments section if you have one.   I’ll start it off:

Why did the Canada goose run onto the soccer field?

Because the referee called a foul. 

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Toronto Local School Info

I had the unique opportunity last month to move my family into a new home in a new city. It is an amazingly grueling and emotional process, especially if you have a small child in tow. The physical aspect of moving is almost enough to put someone into the hospital from sheer exhaustion. I also found out that the emotional toll can be great too.Part of what was so stressful to think about was making sure my wife and I chose a home in a neighbourhood with good schools. As we all know, schools can be good, bad or downright terrible, unfortunately. We spent a lot of time scouring the internet to try to find information about the schools that we might be enrolling our son in based on the neigbourhoods we were interested in. The internet search took quite a bit of time and at times we were doubting what we were seeing on several websites. As you might guess, moving leaves you with almost no spare time, so I really wished that there was a good source for school information in one convenient stop.Well, after the fact, I stumbled upon The School Selection & Real Estate Advisor for the Toronto region (including York and Durham). This is a comprehensive report that really takes a lot of the guesswork out of the Toronto area schools and their quality rank scores. You can obtain this magnificent resource here.

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How To Immigrate To Canada: Immigration Questions Answered

Canada is becoming a pretty popular place. I know, because the number of housing wanted ads posted on the site by people immigrating to Canada is steadily increasing. I also know from the statistics, and also from the rental housing shortage that many of the bigger cities in Canada are facing. Anyone moving to Canada from abroad naturally will need to follow the correct immigration laws and procedures. Hiring a consultant to do this can be very costly. For most people, moving to another country is not something they have done before, so there are naturally more questions than answers. I have found a really good resource that is a lot less expensive than many of the alternatives. It is easy to use in a true step-by-step interactive process. It is downloadable software, so you can get it immediately (we all love instant gratification, don’t we)? You can get this most excellent immigration software here

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Corporate Housing in Red Deer?

The following question was posed via e-mail today.  I am wondering if anyone might have any insight?

Hi,  We own a rural estate home at Red Deer, Alberta (half-way between Edmonton and Calgary).  Is there a need for short term or corporate housing in our area?  1.5 hour drive from Calgary and Edmonton

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