BELLEVILLE – Finding a place to live in Belleville can be a big challenge for international students. Many face expensive rents, unhelpful landlords, and poor housing conditions when they arrive in the city.
Three international students Ranjeet Singh, Sukhwinder Singh, and Armandeep Singh shared their experiences with QNet News highlighting how hard it is to secure housing and offering ideas to improve the situation.
Ranjeet Singh described how overwhelming it was when he first arrived in Belleville.
“I didn’t know where to start looking for housing. Most online listings were either too expensive or already rented,” he said.
Ranjeet also found that many landlords didn’t respond to his inquiries or preferred Canadian tenants.
“The biggest issue was finding affordable places,” he explained. He also had trouble with landlords who wouldn’t sign proper leases and found apartments in bad condition, yet still expensive.
“Some apartments were in terrible condition, but the rent was still high,” Ranjeet said.
Ranjeet Singh shares his struggle to find house. Photo by Anmolpreet Singh
Sukhwinder Singh had a similar experience.
“Most of the listings were either too far from the college or way too expensive,” he said. Sukhwinder also struggled because he didn’t have a credit history in Canada, making it even harder to secure a place.
“Landlords weren’t willing to rent to someone without a credit history,” he explained. He also encountered problems with landlords who wanted extra payments under the table, and he found properties in bad shape, like mold or leaky roofs. ”
The rent was still high despite these issues,” Sukhwinder said.
Both Ranjeet and Sukhwinder faced financial challenges, especially with upfront costs.
“I had to pay two months’ rent upfront, which was hard because I had already spent a lot on tuition and flights,” Ranjeet shared. Sukhwinder also found it difficult.
“Most places asked for first and last month’s rent, which added up to over $2,000. It’s a big burden when you’ve just arrived,” he said.
Sukhwinder Singh shares his struggle to find house. photo by Anmolpreet Singhstudent at Loyalist College.
Both students felt they didn’t get much support in their housing search. “I mostly relied on Facebook groups and friends who were already living in Belleville,” Ranjeet said. Sukhwinder also got help from people back home who knew landlords in Belleville.
The stress of searching for housing affected their experiences in Belleville.
“It was really stressful. I felt like I made a mistake coming here because I couldn’t find a place to live,” Ranjeet said. This stress made it harder for him to adjust to life in Canada and focus on his studies. “Instead of focusing on my classes, I was constantly worried about where I’d live,” he explained.
Sukhwinder said the stress also made him feel discouraged.
“I felt lost and worried all the time. It’s hard to feel settled when you don’t know where you’re going to sleep,” he said. It also impacted his ability to concentrate on his studies. “The stress of finding housing affected my mental health, and I found it hard to focus,” he added.
For future international students coming to Belleville, Ranjeet has some advice:
“Start looking for housing as soon as you can. Reach out to people who are already here for advice, and don’t trust listings that seem too good to be true.” Sukhwinder suggests joining student groups or WhatsApp communities before coming. “It’s also good to plan ahead and budget for high rent,” he said.
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