Steps to take before taking a rental apartment

Never agree to rent an apartment sight unseen. Even if you're looking for places in another city or province, try to have someone do a walk-through of the place if you can't be there in person. Don't rely on photos alone, as they can be deceiving.

Even if the apartment unit is clean and nice, you need to look at the big picture: the neighbourhood. Sometimes affordable apartments are located in bad neighbourhoods. This doesn't mean the place is automatically out, you just need to learn more. Is there a security system to control who can and cannot get in? Is the exterior and parking lot/garage well lit? Are there security cameras monitoring doors?

Make sure you will feel safe living in the apartment before signing a lease. Ask about other tenants. Is it a quiet building? Is there ever trouble? Learn more about the community to see if you'll fit in there and feel comfortable.

Are the people who own/care for the building trustworthy? Do a bit of digging online to see if anything negative turns up. In Toronto, look up the building in RentSafeTO, the City program that inspects apartment buildings and posts an evaluation score for each one. Anywhere in Ontario, you can search Landlord and Tenant Board decisions by the landlord or company name on CanLII, the free legal database, to see whether they have a history of disputes with tenants. Google reviews of the building address or the property management company are also worth a look. Compare these reviews with your own impressions; one person's opinion might not reflect the majority.

If the building doesn't disclose that it has or has had bedbugs, you need to do some independent research. The Bed Bug Registry, an online registry of reported cases across North America, is a good place to start. The cases are user-submitted, so it won't be 100 per cent accurate, but type in the address to see if anything comes up. In Toronto, you can also check whether the building has had bed bug related orders through the City's RentSafeTO listing, and Toronto Public Health publishes advice on spotting an infestation during a viewing: check the mattress seams, the box spring and the baseboards for small dark spots.

The bottom line is that you should always approach taking an apartment with caution. There are some things you can live with, others you cannot - so get informed before signing a lease agreement.

Every rental apartment search has to start somewhere! The best place to start is online. Visit Gottarent to view apartments in your desired area. From there you can arrange viewings and start your independent research to ensure you're getting a good place.