As some of you know - at least the ones who posted in the “oh, my freaking god!” thread several months ago - I’ll be going to Ottawa on the 30th of March. I’ll be there for four months in order to work as an intern, so the big problem I have got is finding a place to stay:
I guess it’s pretty hard to find a place, where I can sign a contract from April to July, as opposed to renting something for a year. What would be the best way to find such a place?
I checked the ottawa citizen online and their classified ads: http://classifieds.canada.com/ottawa/
Apparently “room without board” is around 400$ / month. When it comes to renting something, I’d look at the 600-800 price range. Much higher is impossible due to my financial situation and according to the above site, it doesn’t seem to get any lower than 600 $.
I already booked a hotel from the 30th of March till the 5th of April and want to look for a place to stay during that time. The internship itself starts on the 5th of April. So, any additional tips would be appreciated
You’ve picked the best time to come to Ottawa IMHO. April - July is just lovely and you don’t need to suffer through our hot and humid August.
It’s also the best time for summer room rentals as well. There are two big schools in Ottawa, Carleton and Uni of Ottawa. Both of these places should have student help centres who keep housing lists, most of which will be vacated for the summer very shortly. You should be able to rent something decent for cheap.
For under 600 dollars you’re going to be hard pressed to find anything but a furnished room in Ottawa, especially without a lease.
I go to school in Ottawa, and when I’m there, I rent a room without board for $450/month. There are 16 other rooms in the house, and there are usually some available. But, the landlord isn’t always keen on renting for odd months… he usually rents to students. (Quiet students, believe me.) So, if you email me (see my profile) I’ll give you the address and phone number, and you can try calling my landlord. You’ll get a small room and acess to the kitchen. But no promises, because it’s an unusual period.
Oh, and stay out of Vanier (central-east end by St Laurent). You might find some decently priced rooms there, but it generally considered the slum of Ottawa (which is still not bad when compared to a real slum like in Toronto or any major US city).
Some parts of Baseline Rd (south end) are pretty scummy too.
Oh, oops. That’s what I had considered by looking at the map, as Vanier seems to be conveniently located in between my working place and downtown. Thanks for the headsup!
