Hi bor and sis,,

I am a brand new student to Mac and Hamilton..

Yetersday,, i go to seek for a 2bedrooms aprt nearby school.

it is 10mins walk from school,,, the deal is 850 excluded hydro and internet...

I just want to seek for some advices...

should i take offer or I should see other places?

The manager said that there is no demo room avialable to see,,,and i need to take the rm as is~

Thanks alot

Do you already have a roommate lined up? Is it your responsibility to find someone, or the landlords?

My biggest advice is to visit the Off Campus Resource Center at Mac, they'll tell you all about your rights as a tenant, help look over a lease for you, tell you what things to look out for when looking at a place, etc.

I would heavily recommend against taking a room without seeing it though, that's always a recipe for disaster. And its not like he's offering an amazing deal that someone else will jump at.

http://macoffcampus.mcmaster .ca/oc...ic/contact.htm

yes,,,i hv found a roommate!
and we both studied in the same high school

Ok, I'd still recommend visiting the OCRC, or at least calling them.

thanks!!!
btw,,I just checked the email and Mac give me a room offer(residences)....
I am stuggle b/w live off-campus and on-campus...
wt do u think i should do now?

Originally Posted by rickytheman

thanks!!!
btw,,I just checked the email and Mac give me a room offer(residences)....
I am stuggle b/w live off-campus and on-campus...
wt do u think i should do now?

living on campus is easier and generally a better experience for first years. 850 for 2 bedrooms excluding hydro/electricity is quite expensive.

Originally Posted by killza

living on campus is easier and generally a better experience for first years. 850 for 2 bedrooms excluding hydro/electricity is quite expensive.

850/2 = 425 a month. That's actually within the average range. You also need to remember this is a 2-bedroom apartment...if you found a place in a house, it would probably be cheaper. I'm pretty sure houses in the Emerson area typically cost around there.

On-campus is A LOT closer, and it's really convenient, but from my experiences off-campus, you just get used to not being lazy and next to the school all the time. I also got really sick of on-campus food in res, whereas you have more choice off-campus. BUT you also need to spare time to cook off-campus (or rely on parents' frozen food =D).

Nevertheless, it's always interesting to experience living in res at least once ...which res did you get into?

I dont like the idea that you cant see the room and have to take it as is. Just a big red flag to me.

I loved living off campus first year, I can't recommend it highly enough. But taking a place sight unseen is really sketchy. I might recommend living on campus if you can't find a different place, but the OCRC will definitely be able to help you find a better place.

I'd never take a place I couldn't see first. The landlord is legally able to show you the exact apartment you'll be living in, provided they give the current tenant sufficient notice. If they won't, chances are there's some problem they don't want you to know about. I'd stay away. There's a shit ton of student rentals available this time of year.

Also, if you have any questions about leases, or any other general renting questions, feel free to PM me. I've been renting for 10+ years, and know my shit pretty well.

Don't sign a lease for a place that you haven't even seen! It sounds very shifty, if you ask me. I would demand to see the place first, or else don't sign.

If you decide to act against this advice, and you end up having a problem, you should call or go to Hamilton Community Legal Clinic (Dundurn location at Jackson Square is closest) where they can give you free legal advice on what to do and possibly representation depending on the circumstances. I don't think the Off-Campus Housing Resource Office should be giving out legal advice or reviewing contracts.

Since you got offered a place on rez, you should take that. Like everyone's been saying, it's sketchy to rent a place without even seeing it. Besides, a little on-campus experience won't hurt Ahh, lucky you. I might've stayed on-campus if my marks were high enough.

Living on campus can be ridiculously expensive. $850 for a 2 bedroom apartment, shared with a roommate, is actually a pretty decent price! I wouldn't sign anything without seeing the apartment first, but other than that, I think it sounds good.