Frequently Asked Questions
There are a few ways in which you can book a viewing with us. Choose what is easiest for you ~ call or text our Rental Office at 519-933-9331 or email rentals@exclusiverental.ca or visit our website at www.exclusiverental.ca to book a viewing. Viewings can be scheduled for next day and in some cases same day.
Our agents try to make it as easy as possible to help you find the property that best suits your needs. Book a tour with us and our agents will reserve an hour to show you 3-5 properties. We offer free pick up and drop off anywhere around Western Campus. Don’t find what you love on your first tour, not to worry, we have lots of inventory and our agent will keep working with you until you find something you love!
We offer free pick up and drop off so you can avoid having to meet an agent at a property. However, if it works better for you to meet us at the house, please wait for our agent outside and they will walk you through.
Yes and No. Please see the wording in the RTA below:
Entry without notice, emergency, consent
26 (1) A landlord may enter a rental unit at any time without written notice,
(a) in cases of emergency; or
(b) if the tenant consents to the entry at the time of entry. 2006, c. 17, s. 26 (1).
Entry to show rental unit to prospective tenants
(3) A landlord may enter the rental unit without written notice to show the unit to prospective tenants if,
(a) the landlord and tenant have agreed that the tenancy will be terminated or one of them has given notice of termination to the other;
(b) the landlord enters the unit between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.; and
(c) before entering, the landlord informs or makes a reasonable effort to informthe tenant of the intention to do so. 2006, c. 17, s. 26 (3).
Entry with notice
27 (1) A landlord may enter a rental unit in accordance with written notice given to the tenant at least 24 hours before the time of entry under the following circumstances:
- To carry out a repair or replacement or do work in the rental unit.
Think about…
- how many people you want to share a living space with
- your budget
- location
- type of housing (i.e. newly renovated, each bedroom has a bathroom, furnished)
Remember you can’t always have everything on the list, so decide what’s most important and see which properties check the most boxes.
Once you find that place you love, last month’s rent and an application form are required. Once this is received from our office we can draft your lease and send for your review and signature.
The last month’s rent deposit is not refundable. However, if things have changed we always want to work with you and could transfer this deposit to another rental.
The BDK (Bedroom Door Key Program) was designed to offer student renters the privacy and extra security for their personal rooms. Upon renting a property, if the house you rented is set up with this program then a $30 non-refundable deposit is due with your rent deposit. This program will get you set-up with a lock and key for your room; a free replacement key if the original one provided is lost; one free pass if you accidentally lock yourself out (during business hours – after hours rates will apply).
The traditional lease term is 12 months for all our rentals. There are the occasional shorter term leases that sometimes come available.
There is a sample copy of our lease located here. Our company uses the Ontario Standardized Lease with additional terms approved by Cohen Highley Law Firm.
Short and sweet
- Our office will send the lease and any other required documents to be signed for the property electronically to read and sign online.
- Deposit can be sent by electronic email transfer
- Reoccurring rent payment methods options will be provided to you upon leasing the property
Please note, although communicating with you electronically is easy, we still invite you into our office should you rather sit down with one of our agents to discuss the lease or seek clarity on any part of the rental process. We love visitors.
For initial deposits: email transfer,debit, certified cheque, or credit card.
For BDK deposits: email transfer,debit, certified cheque, or credit card.
For rent payments: post-dated cheques and some cases we can accept PAD (Pre-Authorized Debit) form. Our office will offer all options that are available to you when you find the property to rent.
Exclusive Rentals is a third party Property Management company. We have 2 service packages that we can offer a home owner.
1) Renting
2) Renting with Property Management.
In the event the house that you rented is managed by our company then we can offer more options to pay your reoccurring monthly rent (i.e PAD, cheque) . However, if a home owner only hired us to rent the property, then we find tenants, complete the required rental paperwork and normally in these cases these the home owner is only set up to receive cheques.
A guarantor is any creditworthy person a landlord will accept who undertakes to “guarantee” all liabilities under the lease. If both your student and their co-tenant are on the same lease and you, as a parent of a tenant, sign as guarantor, you can be held liable for that lease. For example, if one of your student’s co-tenants fails to pay their share of the rent, you can be called upon by the landlord to make up the missing share. The guarantee is not just for your student’s liabilities if there is more than one tenant on the lease, and it will remain in force if the premise is subletted.
If you do not have anyone to sign as a guarantor, you can talk to our Lease Advisors about setting up a Guarantor Fund (two months of pre-paid rent in lieu of a guarantor).
All our leases are joint and several, meaning that all roommates will be party to one lease agreement and responsible for the full lawful rent. This does mean that if there is ever a balance owing for rent, then all tenants on the lease are responsible for the arrears. Western Off Campus Housing Services has encouraged tenants who will have roommates to fill out a Roommate Agreement with their future roommates before signing a lease together. The Roommate Agreement can be proactive in noting problem areas before roommates live together (i.e. like responsibility to rent) This roommate agreement can be found here.
All tenants read and sign a waiver in the lease package that outlines our policy on cleaning between rental terms. It requires each tenant to understand that the house or apartment will be cleaned between move-ins and further cleaning by you and/or your group may be required to achieve personal standards. We do not re-send cleaning crews. Our cleaning crews empty all contents left behind by previous renters, clean appliances, floors, and bathrooms. The cleaners leave behind a checklist that they must check off to assure what jobs have been completed. The waiver also asks you to leave the house in the condition you have found it upon move-out and states that you are responsible for any damage you or your guests cause beyond regular wear and tear.
Yes. In the lease that you sign, it states that insurance is required, either by renter’s insurance or extended coverage under his or her parent/guardian’s home insurance.
Yes and No. Please contact us about restrictions due to accommodations being shared we have to take into consideration all occupants of the unit.
Our houses and apartments are non-smoking buildings. Smoking inside, on a balcony or within 9 metres of the entrance are against the conditions of the lease.
On the initial possession date that is outlined in your lease, an agent will meet you at the property with your keys/code and perform a video move-in inspection. At this time, we record any deficiencies that require repair or improvement. We will organize repairs with our maintenance team in priority sequence. Maintenance requests are taken into consideration, consulted by our property coordinator and the landlord, and plans are communicated to our tenants. Emergencies (i.e. leaks, broken roofs, etc.) will be handled promptly.
Throughout the year, our Service team is available by phone/email during regular office hours. They can be reached at the following:
Tel: 519.933.9331 x 3
Email: maintenance@exclusiverental.ca
Website: www.exclusiverental.ca/tenants/maintenance-request-form/
After hours emergencies please contact via phone: 519.933.9331. Our After Hours response team will dispatch a contractor. Please note that the after-hours line is only for our tenants that are experiencing an emergency that cannot wait until the next business day. Any abuse of this line will result in a $75 fine.
Yes. You will be required to submit a sublet agreement to info@exclusiverental.ca. Sublet agreements can be found here. If you are renting a house with other roommates, you should speak with them first about the idea of bringing in a sub-tenant and ensure they are in agreement with this. If this is not done ahead of time it can cause conflicts within the household. A Landlord cannot get involved with roommate conflict. See FAQ on “Do you help with roommate conflict?”
Your Landlord requires the contact information of any sub-tenant that will occupy the property.
Please note, you are still the tenant, and you are now acting like a “landlord” for your subletter. You will continue to pay rent to your Landlord, and you are responsible for collecting rent from your subletter. The rent they pay you could be less then what you’re paying the landlord/property management company.
Exclusive offers a tip sheet and a generic Sublet Contract for you to modify and use. We do not advertise or do viewings to help sublet your room.
In any scenario that would involve a sublet or assignment on a joint and several lease you need permission from your roommates before proceeding.
An assignment is when an individual will take over your entire lease contract and agrees to all the same terms as your original lease.
If you are on a joint and several lease and you want to leave the group and you find a replacement there is a two-step process that is required and this fee is $250 to complete.
- All parties to the lease must first sign a consent form to allowing for the changes to the lease.
- Replacements are required to submit all required documents and payments and MUST be approved as tenant before you are released from your contract. Once the new person is approved an amendment would be made to adjust the parties on the lease and all parties to the lease would sign off to agree to this change.
Our apartments are not residence. We do not govern behaviour, and therefore, we expect our tenants to communicate and sort out any issues among themselves. Roommate mediation may be an option to help the tenants resolve the dispute and work on a solution together. Western’s Housing Mediation Service provides free roommate mediation for Western students. Contact them at 519-661-3787 or oca@uwo.ca to learn more.
Every house is priced differently and some include utilities in the rent and other’s utilities are plus, meaning the tenant is responsible to pay for these on top of the rent. If utilities are included in the rent then the owner of the property will pay these but it is also common to have a utility cap in the lease to protect from abuse. If the utilities are the responsibility of the tenant to manage then the utilities have to be set up in the tenant’s name, similar to how you would set up your phone bill. Utilities have to be set up for the day the lease starts. Look to your lease to identify what utilities the tenants are responsible for. Tenants are responsible for setting up their own utility accounts.
Accounts must be presented to the Landlord before moving in.
It depends; some properties have internet deals included, others do not.
We are the link between landlords and students, handling all housing related issues for both parties. Using a property management company does not cost students anything; it is the landlord’s preference and cost.
We provide:
- Help with your search, providing a number of viable options and taking the hassle out of looking for accommodations
- A standardized process for seeking student housing
- Help in narrowing your search to meet specific needs
- Professional and timely service
- Help with the application process
If you require rent receipts, please go to:
https://www.exclusiverental.ca/tenants/rent-receipt/
Please make sure to fill out the required fields with accurate information and you will receive a receipt within 24-48 hour business hours.
