Alternative housing

• Places4Students - Recommended by Conestoga Students Inc. (CSI), this website helps you find the right rental. You can also post listings to find potential roommates.
  
• Conestoga - 4Stay - A dedicated housing page for housing options near Conestoga campuses and locations.
  
• Kijiji
  
• Facebook Marketplace
  
• PadMapper
• Gotta Rent
• Walk Score

Homestay is a program that matches international students with local host families to live with while studying at Conestoga. Conestoga College partners with Canada Homestay Network Inc. (CHN) to administer our Homestay program.                  

Homestay includes:

• a private bedroom
• meals
• laundry facilities and Internet connectivity and
• the opportunity to live with a Canadian family
  

Cost for September 1, 2024 – August 31, 2025

Kitchener-Waterloo area

Homestay fees are $1,065 (half board: breakfast and dinner) or $1,125 (full board: three meals per day) with a minimum two-month placement required, plus $375 for registration, placement and administration fees.           

Milton – Mississauga area           

Homestay fees are $1,440 (half board: breakfast and dinner) or $1,530 (full board: three meals per day) with a minimum two-month placement required, plus $375 for registration, placement, and administration fees.

Brantford area

Homestay fees are $1,065 (half board: breakfast and dinner) or $1,125 (full board: three meals per day) with a minimum two-month placement required, plus $300 for registration, placement, and administration fees.           

To apply:

Visit Canada Homestay Network

Contact Homestay by email: help@canadahomestaynetwork.ca 

• Safe living conditions: Your home must be secure and well-maintained, even if you were aware of any issues before agreeing to rent it.
• Essential utilities: You must have access to essential services like heat, hot and cold water, electricity, and fuel (such as gas). Your landlord cannot cut off these services except briefly for necessary repairs. You may either pay for these services, or your landlord may cover all or part of the costs.
• Heating requirements: From September 15 to June 1, your landlord must provide heat in your home, and the temperature must be kept at a minimum of 21°C. There are no specific regulations regarding cooling during the summer.
• Right to privacy: Your landlord can only enter your home for specific reasons, such as making repairs, showing the property to potential tenants, or during emergencies.
• Rent increase limits: Your landlord can only raise your rent once every 12 months, and the increase must fall within legally established limits.
• Protection against unlawful eviction: You can only be evicted for certain reasons. If your landlord attempts to evict you, you have the right to a hearing before the Landlord and Tenant Board.
• Children in the home: You have the right to have children live with you in the home, and your family has the right to make a reasonable amount of noise.
• Access to important documents: You are entitled to receive a written copy of your lease agreement, a written notice with your landlord’s legal name and address, and receipts for your rent payments.
  

• Maintaining cleanliness: You are expected to keep your home clean in a way that most people consider acceptable.
• Repairing your damages: You are responsible for fixing any damage you or your guests cause to the property.
• Being considerate of noise: Keep noise levels reasonable and avoid disturbing other tenants in the building.
• Following the law: You must comply with local regulations, such as city by-laws regarding overcrowding, meaning you cannot have more occupants in your unit than allowed.
• Abiding by the lease: You must adhere to the terms of your lease. However, if any part of your lease contradicts the Residential Tenancies Act, you do not have to follow those terms.
• Paying rent on time: You must pay your full rent by the due date specified in your lease.
• Post-dated cheques: Landlords cannot force you to pay rent using post-dated cheques, though you may choose this option if it’s more convenient. They must accept cash payments on the due date if you prefer.
• Rent payments in advance: Landlords cannot demand that you pay rent in advance, except for the first and last month’s rent.
  

The college strongly recommends that all student renters purchase tenant insurance to protect their belongings in case of unforeseen loss due to theft, fire, or water damage, etc.      

• Tenant insurance protects you from unexpected damage to your rental unit and your belongings.
• It protects you from personal liability in case of an emergency or accident (fire damage, etc.).
• You must be considered a legal tenant to qualify for tenant insurance.
• Many insurance companies offer tenant insurance. Prices and coverage vary. It is important to research and select the plan that best suits your situation.

Air quality

Mold and chemical contaminants, such as excessive pesticide use or smoke from neighbouring units, can pose significant challenges for tenants, especially those with allergies.

Signs of mold may include:

• Stains, discoloration, or bubbling on walls or ceilings
• Musty or earthy odours
• Visible mold or, in severe cases, rotting wood on windowsills
  

If you or someone in your household has asthma or a respiratory condition, it may be wise to consider other housing options instead of renting a damp basement apartment.          

Bedbugs and household pests

Bedbugs are a common and troublesome pest. Being able to identify and prevent bedbugs can help you take quick action to eliminate them. Household pests, such as bedbugs, mice, and cockroaches, can pose significant health risks. While your landlord is ultimately responsible for addressing these infestations, tenants are expected to take reasonable steps to prevent them.       

If you discover bedbugs or other pests in your home, inform your landlord right away. If the initial report is made in person or by phone, be sure to follow up with an email to create a written record. Your landlord is required to inspect your unit and begin acting within 72 hours of being notified.       

Your landlord must arrange for a professional exterminator to resolve the issue, if the problem persists.

Landlords are required to maintain rental properties in good repair and ensure that all items provided to tenants are in working condition, including:       

• Electrical, plumbing, and heating systems
• Appliances
• Carpets in the unit or common areas
• Walls, roofs, and ceilings
• Windows, doors, locks, and lighting
• Garages, laundry rooms, patios, walkways, and pools

If something stops working due to normal wear and tear or breaks down, the landlord must repair or replace it to ensure it functions properly. However, replacements do not need to be new or upgraded models.          

For example, if a stove supplied by the landlord cannot be repaired and needs replacing, it does not have to be a newer model with additional features. A used stove is acceptable if it works properly.          

To learn more, visit Housing law: repairs and maintenance.          

Paying rent is how to secure your right to live in a place and treat it as your home. To maintain this right, you must pay your rent in full and on-time each month on the agreed-upon due date.            

Rules for rent increase

In most cases, the rent for a residential unit can be increased if at least 12 months have passed since the:   

• last rent increase, or
• date the tenancy began

The landlord must give a tenant written notice of a rent increase in the proper form at least 90 days before it takes effect.   

The form for this notice is available on the Landlord and Tenant Board forms web page. If your landlord has not provided the proper notice, or you believe that your rent has been raised by an improper amount, you can dispute it at the Landlord and Tenant Board within 12 months after the amount was first charged.

The end of a lease does not mean a tenant has to move out. A new lease can be made, or the landlord and tenant can agree to renew the lease for another fixed term period.   

If a new agreement is not reached, the tenant still has the right to stay:   

• as a monthly tenant, if they paid their rent by the month in the expired lease
• as a weekly tenant, if they paid their rent by the week in the expired lease.

Where the tenant stays on as a monthly or weekly tenant, all the rules of the former lease will still apply to the landlord and tenant. But the landlord can increase the rent each year by the amount allowed under the Act.   

Subletting is when you rent your space to someone else for part of your lease term, allowing them to live there and pay rent while you’re not using it. As the tenant, you lease your unit to another person, referred to as a subtenant or sublessee. The subtenant agrees to reside in your space, pay rent, and adhere to the terms outlined in your rental agreement with the landlord.

The agreement is primarily between you (the tenant) and the subtenant in a subtenancy. As the tenant, you take on the dual roles of tenant and “sublandlord.”           

Even while subletting, you remain the primary tenant and are still accountable to your landlord. This means you are responsible for any issues caused by the subtenant, such as damages, unpaid rent, or other rental agreement violations. You also act as the intermediary between your landlord and the subtenant, as they do not have a direct legal relationship under the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA). Your responsibilities involve managing two relationships: tenant–landlord and sublandlord–subtenant.         

If your subtenancy complies with the RTA, both you and your subtenant can approach the Landlord and Tenant Board to resolve disputes, including non-payment of rent, property damage, or lease violations.           

To ensure your subtenancy is valid under the RTA, you must:        

• Vacate the rental unit.
• Allow another person(s) to occupy the unit for a period shorter than your lease, intending to return before the lease ends.
• Obtain your landlord’s consent to sublet, generally and for the specific subtenant.
  

The Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) applies to sublets where the original tenant plans to return and live in the rental unit before the lease ends. This requires an agreement between you, the tenant, and your landlord for a specific term. As a result, sublets cannot be arranged for month-to-month tenancies. However, you could theoretically establish a subtenancy for a period of one month minus one day.          

If you do not plan to return to the unit after the subtenant moves in, this arrangement is classified as a lease assignment or lease takeover, which is distinct from a subtenancy.          

If you remain in the rental unit but allow another person to live there with you, this is not considered a sublet. Instead, the individual is deemed an occupant of the unit.  

Unless they are added to the lease, occupants:           

1. Must leave the unit at the same time as you to avoid being labeled as unauthorized occupants, which could result in eviction.
2. Cannot sublet the unit without written consent from both the primary tenant and the landlord.
   

• Talk it over with your roommates
  • If you plan on having a stranger move into your shared apartment, discuss it first.
• Get to know your potential subtenant before agreeing to the subtenancy
  • You must trust your subtenant as you are ultimately responsible for their actions during their stay.
  • Interview them and make sure you feel confident before saying yes.
  • Get references from former landlords and/or employers and follow up on them. You want to ask questions that will help determine if this tenant will be responsible and pay their rent on time and in full.
• Communicate openly and often
  • You should have multiple ways to contact each other.
  • If you will be away for the summer, have a backup person the tenant can check in with.
  • Plan to have weekly or monthly check-ins.
• Sign a sublease agreement.