Lion Heart

Hi guys!

We are moving to Nova Scotia in late March/early April and are seeking somewhere to rent for a few months whilst we get sorted buying our house there.

Will likely need 2-4 months renting, so 3 or 6 month let would be ideal.

Thought I'd come on to the forum as it's been a great help for us during our Express Entry process etc, and I know there's a fair few expats in Nova Scotia that will be reading that may have rental properties, an annexe etc etc so thought it worth a try!

It is myself and partner, both non-smokers 44 and 39, nice and tidy friendly genuine people. With one dog, also very friendly, older, 100% non-destructive (she's a real legend and wins over all of the local delivery drivers!)

Will consider most parts of Nova Scotia as we are not tied to a particular job/region.

Anyone reading this have any idea's to help us out?

Thanks guys!

Siouxie

https://britishexpats.com/wiki/Renti...tal_properties

Howefamily

Hi, this is one facebook group that may help, its for rentals in East Hants which is an are starting just north of the airport:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/913099262083389/

Lion Heart

Thanks guys!

I was hopeful someone on here may own rental properties.

It's what we intend to do ourselves actually (rentals) so hopefully we'll be back on here helping out someone in a similar position to us now, down the line.

raindropsandroses

We have rental properties, and we're in NS, but one thing I would say it that its not for the fainthearted.

I hate being a landlord and honestly I'd advise anyone thinking of it to run for the hills and never look back!

That's probably not much help, on a better note, have you looked at motels and hotels as many of them do monthly rentals and are generally cheaper than actually renting a place.

raindropsandroses

Sorry, should have added that we don't have any vacancies at the moment, otherwise we'd be happy to help

BristolUK

Hey, nice to see you again.

I know time flies but you moved to NS from PEI not that long ago didn't you? You got bad expereinces quite quickly?

raindropsandroses

Thanks Bristol

In Nova Scotia? No, I do love NS, is has its negatives, but broadly speaking I'm very happy here, and I feel like it was the right move for us from PEI.

Being a landlord is what I hate, I laughably thought we'd be able to help people, but whilst it works for our financial plan long term, its pretty depressing.

raindropsandroses

Rereading and I should have clarified, its being a landlord, not living in Nova Scotia which I don't think is for the fainthearted.

I don't think Nova Scotia is by any means an easy place to carve out a good life for yourself, and the poverty can be soul destroying. The closer you are to Halifax and the HRM the better I think it may be, but elsewhere in NS life seems very precarious.

Before coming to Canada we lived in a lot of different countries, we're no strangers to having to build a life somewhere, but some places that's harder than others, and I don't think NS is one of the easier ones.

Anyway, now I would say that we have a good life here, and I love Nova Scotia, for the most part anyway!

​​​​Sorry for digressing.

BristolUK

Actually that's exactly how I took it. I meant that as you hadn't long moved, your bad experiences as a landlord happened quite quickly.

I landlorded here from 2005 to 2016. I had 8 years with only one real problem among the other very good tenants. But for the last three years it was one nuisance after another and another big problem as well.
It's actually on topic if the OP wants to rent out property themselves.

raindropsandroses

Yeah, we've been in Nova Scotia just over 1.5 years now, and have only been landlords here (not counting in PEI) for a year.

We have had evictions, apartments destroyed (excrement and used tampons smeared up the walls, used condoms and needles on the floors) death threats against me, including the issuers turning up at our home to threaten me, graffiti to the effect of "die Raindrops" but with four letter words painted onto exterior house walls....I could go on.

We vet our tenants very carefully too, to no avail. We have nine sets of tenants at the moment, so all the drama isn't concentrated on one property.

We are now trying catering to low income tenants and working with Housing NS, as they tend to walk the line a bit more reasonably. Or at least we've gone three clear months without issues and I don't get threatened, which is far longer than when we had so called "professional" people as tenants.

I really did think we could make a difference, be good landlords, and help people, whilst accumulating assets. Lol, I sort of want to cringe.

BristolUK

Bloody hell. Is all that aggro why you haven't been around much? Understandable.

Certainly there were times I was taken advantage of while being a good landlord. Quite dispiriting.

raindropsandroses

Yes it is, I feel like I've spent more time talking to our lawyer/the police than to my husband over the last year!!
My best friend switched my cell phone to play "Master of the House" from Les Mis every time I got a call regarding anything tenant to try and cheer me up. The wine evening Wednesday's she arranged each week helped more!!

Still, I think (touch an Amazon's worth of wood) we're moving into a calmer period. It could have been worse, but it hasn't been the most fun year.

Dispiriting is exactly the word.

Siouxie

Would you be better buying holiday (vacation) rental places - or renting out the places you have as holiday lets, perhaps?

There's some serious money paid.. and would likely be a lot less trouble!
https://www.cottagesincanada.com/cot...ls/nova-scotia
https://www.tripadvisor.ca/VacationR...gion_Nova.html
https://www.vrbo.com/vacation-rental...da/nova-scotia

Lion Heart

Thanks guys, I'm reading this with a LOT of interest as we've now sold our house in the UK and come 6-8 weeks we should be in Nova Scotia and this is what we intend to do full time with no back up plan. So worrying to read.

We intend to do very similar to you with 6-10 rental units, to hopefully provide enough income to cover living costs and then choose what we want to do to supplement that income.

Really shocked by the excrement and used tampon stuff. That's awful. Surely you call the police and they would arrest them????

Did you get the tenants yourself including face to face meeting beforehand? And they seemed perfectly normal?

PLEASE don't think I'm judging your methods as I'm not, just really, really interested hearing from someone doing it first hand, and desperately trying to get some tips on what and what not to do!!!!

Also please feel free to pm me as could really use some advice.