A Guide to Wrapping Up Your Rental Journey

As the academic year winds down and you head home for the summer or you're an international student navigating between semesters, let’s walk through the essential steps to ensure a smooth transition.

1. Change of Address

Update your address to ensure your mail, subscriptions and memberships follow you to your new home. And you can avoid old bank statements or personal documents falling into the wrong hands which could be a security risk.

How to Approach It:

1. Canada Post: Use their change of address service to forward your mail to your new address.

2. Update Official Documents: Notify institutions like your bank, university, and government bodies of your address change.

2. Securing a Rental Reference

Credibility: A positive reference from your landlord boosts your credibility with future landlords. It contributes to a solid rental history, showing you’re a responsible tenant, And can give you a competitive edge in competitive rental markets.

How to Approach It:

1. Leave on Good Terms: Ensure your rental is clean and all dues are cleared.

2. Request Politely: Ask your landlord for a reference, providing them with the context for its use. Make sure you make this request early and don't leave it until the last minute.

3. Provide Contact Details: Offer a convenient way for future landlords to contact your previous landlord.

3. Reconciling with Roommates

Financial Clarity: Ensuring all shared responsibilities with roommates are settled, and all bills are split fairly and paid off prevents any post-move-out surprises, so you can end on good terms. This helps to keep friendships intact beyond the rental period.

How to Approach It:

1. Final Bill Split: Gather all final utility bills and ensure they’re divided and paid.

2. Shared Items: Decide who keeps shared purchases or how to split the cost.

3. Clean Together: Organize a joint cleaning session to ensure the place is left in top condition.

4. Open Dialogue: Have an honest conversation about any unresolved issues or debts.

4. Storage Solutions

Cost-Effective: If you’re between leases or heading home for a break, storage can be more affordable than transporting everything back and forth, especially if you plan on returning. Options to avoid dealing with this include looking for furnished rental options, or selling your big bulk items on Facebook marketplace. The turnaround is quick enough to allow you to sell and move quick.

How to Approach It:

1. Compare Options: Look into different storage solutions, from self-storage units to portable containers.

2. Budget Wisely: Choose a solution that fits your budget and meets your storage needs.

3. Pack Smart: Use uniform sturdy boxes and label everything for easy retrieval.

4. Lastly, check if you need insurance, either through the storage facility’s insurance or your own.

5. The Transition Period

Whether it’s crashing with friends or finding short-term digs, navigating the gap between rentals requires planning. This ensures you have a place to stay, minimizes the stress of last-minute housing hunts and will help manage your expenses during the transition.

How to Approach It:

1. Explore Options: Look into sublets, short-term rentals, or staying with family/friends.

2. Communicate Expectations: If staying with someone, be clear about the duration and any contributions to expenses. Be a considerate guest, respecting the space and rules of your temporary abode.

3. Backup Plan: Always have a plan B in case your initial arrangement falls through.

Some students might experience a transition period between rentals, with the average duration being 2-4 weeks.

As you close one chapter and look forward to the next, remember that the key to a seamless transition is preparation and clear communication.