Renting and housing, apartment or house

Learning through data and first-hand accounts: what it’s like to rent in the city

Housing is often a source of anxiety and frustration for students. There are good experiences with renting as well as bad. 

After three years of renting in Brantford as a student, Ryan Larabee, a fourth-year criminology student, has dealt with various situations that had lessons to be learned. Starting out with a student apartment, there are roommates you don’t know and shared kitchen spaces that you have to deal with.

“I found that the apartment, because it was all students, there was, price gouging. There was all these, different fees for absolutely everything, and it was a lot more expensive than just renting at a house. So that’s why I ended up switching to a house,” Larabee stated. When looking for housing, there is a benefit in not choosing the first option that you find; looking at lots of options is a great plan. “While being a student renter, know your resources. I know Laurier does provide a bunch of resources and help for students renting,” Larabee said. 

The city of Brantford has been gathering data about rental housing experiences in the city. This information is going to help city officials to create tools that increase protections for all involved. “To do this effectively, it is important to understand the lived experiences of both renters and landlords. This engagement seeks to inform residents of the city’s ongoing work and to gather perspectives that will help to identify approaches that promote housing stability for tenants while remaining sustainable for landlords and rental property owners” Miranda Ivy, Planner, Long Range Planning, City of Brantford stated. 

Through this information, four main tools will be brought forward. Rental and Licensing or Registration Programs: these programs ensure that landlords keep up-to-date with safety and maintenance standards. Rental Protection By-laws: which Ivy described as being “used to protect existing housing stock, particularly in situations where properties with six or more residential units are proposed to be demolished or converted to another use.” Rental Renovation Licensing By-laws/Programs: are directed towards landlords who have to obtain a license for major renovations required before tenants move out. As well as, Financial Incentives: which allow the possibility of grants and tax relief for landlords or owners of rental properties. 

Ivy stated that the city’s decision to gather this information was to ensure future decisions are impacted by the community input. “Overall, the goal of collecting this information on lived experiences and reviewing these tools is to ensure that policy decisions are informed by local housing conditions and community input from both tenants and landlords,” Ivy stated.