emjaca85

Hi guys me and my mate are halfway through applying for our IEC visas.

And IF we get the visas we will be headed to Toronto, we will have a MAX of $2000 a month to spend on rent and im hoping this will include the majority of bills as well. If we could get somewhere for $1500 including bills - great!

We have no specific area in mind as we don't have any jobs waiting for us out there (we will be going over with quite a lot of funds). Although I will be wanting to do bar/waitressing work and won't be driving - my mate on the other hand is an electrician and will want to drive.

for $2000 a month (inc bills) what is the best value 2 bed accommodation? A House, Apartment or condo (what's a condo exactly?)?. So i guess I will want to be near a subway station, we are both in our mid 20's and want to be not too far from some nightlife etc

Any ideas/ recommendations for areas? thanks you!

dbd33

A condo is, for this purpose, an apartment. The difference relates to ownership of the building, that doesn't apply if you rent. The bar worker wants to be downtown, the car driver doesn't.

emjaca85

im going to be an apprentice electrician then

MarylandNed

Yonge/Eglinton area is worth a look.

http://www.yongeeglinton.com/

There's a subway station right at the Yonge/Eglinton intersection. Relatively easy access to Highway 401 and the Allen Expressway for anyone who is driving. You'd probably be looking at apartments for that price. There are lots of bars, restaurants, and shops in the area and a movie theatre.

As for the difference between a condo and an apartment, it's a purely legal distinction that likely won't affect you if you are renting. You can't tell them apart just by looking at them.

dbd33

Dear God, must you pack all the poor buggers off to the 'burbs?!

Parking is a challenge downtown admittedly but to sacrifice a good location for people in order to gain a better one for the car seems like an old person's compromise to me.

Partially discharged

In a condominium scenario you own your unit and you and all the other condo units share in the ownership of the hallways, underground parking garage (although you own your space), landscaped areas, pools, fitness area, and the external windows and roof are also part of the 'common elements' of the condo in which condo owners pay a portion every month for upkeep and future repairs.

Townhouses can also be condos

Many apartment units on kijiji are actually in condo buildings and the owners are renting them out as an investment.

I've never lived in a condo but I deal with it in my line of work.

MarylandNed

You have a strange definition of suburbs. Where do the Toronto suburbs begin in your world? Bloor St?

dbd33

Yes. DVP/Bathurst/Bloor. Then inner-burbs out to, maybe, DVP/401/Vic Park then bordering municipalities. Suburbs have their merits, of course, but I don't think the OP is especially going to want a tidy lawn with a picket fence.

Oakvillian

for once, I agree with dbd on Toronto. Not with his definition of suburbia, which is as ludicrous as ever, but in the OP's case I think Y&E would offer a poor compromise. It's neither properly downtown (for easy access to bars & clubs not only for work but for socialising) nor far enough into the burbs to offer much in the way of price/space advantage.

For a pair of youngsters (I get the impression from the OP that they are friends rather than a couple...) on an IEC visa it's really got to be as close to the heart of things as you can manage, otherwise it's kind of missing the point.

dbd33

I'll have you know that I'm familiar with suburban Toronto. I left downtown (by the market) and moved across the DVP to the 'burbs, the Beach, in order to be able to afford a place with a fenced backyard and room for a trampoline. Other people might choose to move to High Park or up past Bloor when they want to keep dogs and children and the like. Few people can do that in central Toronto but out in Leaside, Rosedale or Mount Pleasant houses are set up for that.

I've even been up to Yonge and Eglinton. Twice. Once we tried to get home by taxi but gave up on that when we heard the cost.

emjaca85

Thankyou for the suggestions, yeah we are mates from London, so something bigger with picket fence and garden sounds lovely (if it was a permanent thing) but ill leave that till I'm in my 30's.......

So downtown Toronto sounds good (for me at least) I just found this apartment, it has parking, does it seem like good value, just as an example?, or is this very expensive for what it is?

http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-real-esta...AdIdZ460903933

Is there anywhere in particular in downtown to avoid?

Thank you all the replies are helpful

Jerseygirl

When considering apartments...check if the cost of utilities is included in the rental price. My daughter used to rent an apartment and had to pay for the utilities separate from the rent.

We have a couple of condos on the HarbourFront (sorry we don't rent them out )...utilities are included in our condo fees...so the ones that are rented include utilities in the rent.

dbd33

That's a new build on the land that was Regent Park. Living there you would see a lot of beggars, prostitutes and homeless people. Walking there at night you could expect to be cruised.

However, it's new and so won't have bed bugs (check other buildings here http://bedbugregistry.com/metro/toronto/) and it's a short walk to lots of good stuff (though not the subway).

I'd think it worth a look if you're not easily intimidated.

Zoe Bell

if you fancy the waterfront

http://www.mapleleafquay.net/
http://parksuitestoronto.com/rental-...ur-square.html

but the quay is a mess of constrcution equipment at the moment making using the TTC a pain ( not impossible just less convenient than it usually is)

EDIT the bottom one is actually a link to long term rentals but you could google the addresses

dbd33

The second one would be good, that's not too far to walk to Union.