Rent Calgary Apartments

A Renter’s Guide to Calgary: World-Class in Many Ways

Living costs in Calgary

If you’ve decided to rent an apartment in Calgary, you should also be prepared for higher living costs than many other Canadian cities. Depending on the area, Calgary’s house prices are still affordable compared with Vancouver, but are almost as expensive as Toronto’s. The City of Calgary is aware of the situation and is working to create affordable housing solutions. Meanwhile, assess your means and carefully choose the neighbourhood where you’ll rent your housing in Calgary. Many people also share an apartment to reduce the costs.

Rental properties available for rent in Calgary mostly include apartments in larger multi-unit, high-rise buildings, but houses, town-houses, basement suites and even single rooms are also out there. Furnished and unfurnished rental homes are generally available, but you’ll probably find more furnished apartments than furnished houses.

Keep a handy checklist at the ready as you visit rental properties to make sure you’re covering all the angles.

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation reports average rental prices in Calgary for 2012, though some say these are low:

• Two-bedroom apartment:  $1,150/month - $1,355/month
• Two-bedroom house:  $1,136/month - $1,105 /month
• Three-bedroom house: $1,504/month and more

Once you’ve signed your lease, you’ll have to make sure your rental insurance and utilities are covered. When you hand in your rental application to the landlord, they may do a credit check, which is legitimate, so they’ll ask you for permission do this with the credit bureau.

Where to live in Calgary

As with other cities, you’ll generally pay more for housing in and around downtown Calgary. So, also consider the suburbs, especially the North West and South West quadrants with their attractive mountain views of the Rockies.

Tuscany, Edgemont, Country Hills, Dalhousie and Rosedale are popular suburbs in the North West of Calgary. While in the South West, Springbank Hill, West Hillhurst, and Westgate are recommended. In the rapidly growing South East, McKenzie Lake and Midnapore are also worth checking out.

The CMHC Newcomer’s Guide to Canadian Housing is also o an excellent resource, and you can use RentersPages.com to find your own little house on the Prairie.

If you’re moving to Calgary with a young family and need help choosing the right school, check out the ranking of Alberta’s educational institutions. Note that in a few areas, suburban developments have outpaced school construction, leading to lengthy journeys for some children and overcrowding of popular existing schools.

Getting around in Calgary

Drivers from larger cities outside Canada find Calgary’s traffic relatively easy and the city’s public transport is considered reasonably good. The C Train (a light railway) runs from various suburbs to downtown Calgary. Outside downtown, free park-and-ride-car-parks are provided for the C Train and buses.

Tenants’ rights in Calgary

Before signing any documents or handing over key money, make sure you’re aware of your rental rights and obligations. The provincial government strives to ensure a fair deal for tenants, roommates and landlords in any rental arrangement and can be a good resource for any rental disputes.

Happy hunting!