Housing

Most rental housing in Canada is owned by individuals or by companies, not by the government. The property owner (called the landlord) sets the amount of the rent, and renters (called tenants) pay the rent in order to live in the property.

Some rental housing has lower rental rates because it is subsidized by government, but it is specifically for people with low to moderate incomes.

When you find a property that you are interested in renting, consider whether:

• It is safe;
• It is big enough for the number of people who would live there; and
• It's close to public transportation.

Learn more about renting a residence and what may be expected of you as a tenant or landlord. You'll also find rights and responsibilities for the tenant and landlord.

Tenant's Insurance

If you're renting, it's a good idea to have insurance.

There are two types of coverage:

• Liability coverage protects you in case you damage the building or others are injured when they visit your home.
• Content coverage protects you for loss or damage to your personal belongings caused by insured risks including fire, smoke and theft.

There are various types of homes for sale, such as:

• Condominiums;
• Townhouses;
• Single or detached homes;
• Semi-detached; and
• Duplexes.

The CMHC resource, Buying Your First Home in Canada: What Newcomers Need to Know, provides information on the different types of homes plus other useful information.

Home Insurance

You're required to have home insurance for every home you own.

Home insurance gives you financial protection if your house is damaged by:

• Fire;
• Lightning strikes;
• Wind and hail;
• Explosions;
• Falling objects;
• Vandalism;
• Theft; and
• Other risks.

Depending on your coverage, your home and other structures such as a garage, storage shed or fence are protected.

Most banks will require you to have proof of insurance before you can get a mortgage from them.

Types of Home Insurance

There are three types of home insurance policies that you can purchase.

• Basic: This package provides coverage for named risks in the policy associated with your house, its contents and your liability.
• Broad: A broad policy provides insurance coverage for your home for all risks and for named risks for its contents.
• Comprehensive: This policy covers both the building and its contents for all risks except for those specifically excluded.

How to Obtain Home Insurance

Contact a few home insurance brokers to get more information about the types of home insurance available to meet your requirements.

To find a home insurance broker, look under "Home Insurance" in the yellow pages of your telephone directory or search at mysask411.

Utilities are services like electricity, water and sewer, telephone and fuel which are used in Saskatchewan homes. These services are usually provided through a provincial or local government agency.

Internet, landline and cell phone services are also available from private companies.

If heating, electrical, telephone, or other utilities are not included in your rent, or if you've just bought a home, you'll need to have the utilities connected before you move in.

You can connect multiple utilities at once, through ExpressAddress. You can also contact each utility company separately, to open an account with them. The cost of connecting utilities is usually added to your first month's bill.

Some of the different utility companies are listed below:

• Heating: Contact your local SaskEnergy.
• Electricity: Contact your local SaskPower.
  • The voltage system in Canada is 110 volt, 60 hertz. If you're planning to bring some of your own electrical appliances to Canada, you might need to buy a voltage transformer/converter so that your appliances will work.
• Water and Sewer Services: Water and sewer services are provided by cities, towns, or rural municipalities. For contact information, look for a Customer Service and Billing Inquiry telephone number listed in the "city section" of your local telephone book or on your city's website. In smaller centres, you may have to call a Town Office or Rural Municipality Office.
• Telephone and Internet Service: These services are provided by a number of telephone, cell phone and internet companies. You can find the names and contact details of these companies in the Yellow Pages of a telephone book, or by searching online at mysask411.com.
• Garbage and Recycling: Cities, towns and rural municipalities are responsible for residential garbage pick-up. In larger centres and some smaller communities, there are free drop-off locations for recycling of paper, metal, glass and milk containers. Some cities also have a recycling pick-up service.