5 Questions To Ask The Property Owner When Considering A House For Rent

Unlike many high-rise apartments for rent, rental houses often have extras included in the rent, such as TV and internet. This is typical if you are renting a section of a house, such as the basement or attic. If the homeowner lives on the premises, they might be willing to share the cost of these things with you by rolling them into your rent. You will also want to ask whether electricity and water are included, too.

This could affect your decision to take a place or not, because if the rent is already on the high end of your budget, you probably don't want to have to pay for internet and other utilities on top of that.

If the house has a yard and garden, whose responsibility is it to care for it? Will you have to mow the lawn yourself, or will they send a service to do it? If you do have to maintain the yard yourself, do you need your own lawn mower, or will there be one available for your use?

If something breaks inside the house, who is supposed to fix it? Do you arrange repairs yourself and get reimbursed by the landlord? Or will they send a maintenance person out to fix it at their expense? Do you have to absorb the cost? Find out.

If you are renting an apartment inside someone's home, where they currently live, you need to ask if there is a shared laundry room. What about the backyard and barbecue? Will you be allowed to use that? If you are allowed to use these things, is there a policy regarding when and how they're used? Do you have to book them with the owner, or is it a free-for-all?

One of the major benefits of choosing a house for rent is yard space and on-site laundry. If your access to these is limited at best, perhaps look for another place.

Many homeowners buy income properties to fix up and perhaps resell later. If this is the case, you need to know the owner's plans. In Ontario, a sale does not end your tenancy: the new owner simply takes over as your landlord on the same lease terms. The only way a buyer can require you to leave is by serving an N12 notice because they (or a close family member) genuinely intend to move in, and that comes with at least 60 days' notice ending on the last day of a rental period plus compensation (check the current rules on tribunalsontario.ca). A lease clause promising you "30 days to move out if the house sells" is not enforceable. Rules differ in other provinces, so check your provincial tenancy law if you are outside Ontario.

If you're not looking for a short-term rental, make sure you know what the homeowner's intentions are before signing a lease.

If you ask these questions in person, follow up by asking for the answers in writing. You can also submit your questions by email and save the answers in your inbox.

This way, you are covered if the owner tries to backtrack on something you previously discussed. You want proof of what you were promised in the event you need to go to the Landlord and Tenant Board with a complaint. A verbal promise is fine, but you need more than that if you want to challenge a decision down the road.

Want to find a house for rent? Start your search using Gottarent.com! Once you find your ideal place, you can connect with the property owner and arrange a tour - and don't forget to ask those important questions!