Why choosing a rental carefully matters

When it comes to choosing your next rental in an apartment building or complex, it’s important to think beyond the price and location of the unit. Where you choose to rent is where you’ll live and it’s worth getting to know what the building has to offer beyond the apartment itself. Here are a few things to factor into your decision making when it comes to finding a new home in an apartment complex or building.

Amenities

There can be anywhere from zero to lots of perks/amenities offered to residents via an apartment building or complex. These tend to come in the form of building or community amenities. This could include things like: onsite security; access to communal spaces like party rooms and rooftop patios; services like onsite management and maintenance; communal recreation facilities like pools, gyms, and yoga studios; and helpful spaces and services like convenience stores and dog walking areas etc.

Why amenities matter

It’s important to familiarize yourself with the amenities of a property or complex before you sign a lease. Great or sub-par amenities can really make or break your rental experience. For example, if you rent a small bachelor apartment, it can feel a bit cramped and you may benefit greatly from a building that offers communal spaces where you can work, rest, exercise and recharge beyond your unit. Why? Because if you can’t comfortably do those things within your own private space or in a communal building area, then you may find yourself spending money on services outside of your home to fill the void like getting a gym membership, working in coffee shops etc. Building and community amenities can really help you save money and reduce the amount of time you need to spend out of your home base.

Culture and events

If well managed, your apartment building or complex can be like a thriving community where everyone knows your name and everything you need is at your fingertips. When poorly managed, it can feel more like a hostel with strangers passing each other quietly in the halls. At Hazelview Properties, we pride ourselves on building communities. At Story of Rideau and Chapel, we do this through great communal amenities, shared spaces and events that bring residents together. Here are some of the resident events we’ve hosted recently for this community:

  • Wine and cheese parties
  • Our annual Summer Farewell event
  • Spring cleaning events
  • Community gardening (where residents adopt a plant and take care of it in a shared garden)
  • Free weekly yoga and Zumba classes

Why resident events matter

Events like ours are designed to uplift and bring our residents together as neighbours and help them feel more at home in our residences. They enable residents to meet and connect, relax and recharge. They make them feel like members of a thriving community.

We hope you’ll take our advice and consider these factors the next time you rent an apartment.

Ready to start a new chapter of your life in Ottawa? Elevated rental living is within reach at Story of Rideau & Chapel.