1. Who uses a furnished rental?
Furnished rentals are primarily used by corporate executives, temporary company workers,contractors, government officials, hospital residents, nursed, graduate students,international students, movie and film professionals on location, and individuals who are relocating to a new city and require temporary accommodations to get settled.
2. What should I expect from a furnished rental?
You should expect the stay to be inclusive of all utility bills including electricity, heat, water, telephone and cable TV. Most providers also include free high speed internet. The kitchen should have all the basic kitchenware needed to cook a proper meal (cookware, glassware, silverware, dishes, etc). The bathroom should include towels,an iron and ironing board, complementary soap and a roll of toilet paper to get you started!. The bedroom should have clean linen, pillows and coverings. Standard furniture throughout the unit should include a bed, couch, desk, eat table and chair, TV, phone, VCR/DVD player, dresser, full kitchen appliances (microwave, oven, stove, fridge) and proper lighting fixtures. Special note, in the Toronto market ensuite laundry facilities (washer and dryer) should also be considered a standard expectation from a furnished rental.
3. What are considered extras or non standard inclusions in a furnished rental?
Parking, airport pickup and dry cleaning are all services that furnished providers may provide but with an additional cost. Some furnished providers provide house keeping/maid service for free, but this is not the norm.
4. What is a Condominium Hotel?
A Condominium Hotel is a building that has units that are both occupied by unit owners (who either live at or rent the unit) and hotel guests. Some condominium hotels have dedicated floors for the hotel units (which are usually the lower floors that do not have complementary views) and unit owners(usually the higher floors). A condominium hotel is a hybrid between a hotel and a condominium. The population of Condominium Hotel is not as anonymous or transient as a hotel, being that a significant portion of tenants actually live in the building. Also units in a condominium hotel can be smaller(on average less than 500 sq feet) than a typical furnished rental and may not include a full kitchen or a washer and dryer. Some examples of Condominium Hotels in the downtown Toronto market includes the Pantages, Soho Metropolitian and 1 King West.
5. What is the difference between a staying at furnished accommodations and a hotel?
Price is the biggest difference. A hotel room in downtown Toronto cannot be had for under $100 a night, whereas for a furnished rental several companies provide accommodations which average under $100 a night. For daily living the biggest difference is hotel rooms do not have full kitchens and washers and dryers included into their unit. Hotel rooms are smaller and often times do not have views. If your visit is more than just a few weeks not having these amenities can have a cramping effect on your daily living.
6. What other districts are in Toronto area?
Mississauga, Scarborough, North York, Richmond Hill, Vaughn, Oakville, Etobicoke are all suburbs of Toronto and generally require a car or a 30 minute to 1 hour transit ride to Toronto. The Annex, University of Toronto, the Hospital district, the Danforth, the Beaches, Rosedale, Little Italy, King West, Cabbagetown, and the waterfront are all within the downtown area and are also excellent areas. Parkdale and Regent Park should generally be avoided.
7. Does TheFurnishedStay.com provide accommodations?
Yes, we are a provider of furnished rental accommodations.
8. How do I get to the Airport to downtown Toronto?
The main airport for Toronto is Pearson Airport and is located in the suburb Etobicoke, about a half hour drive from the downtown Toronto core. The time it takes to get to the airport varies of course on traffic, where rush hour can take you an hour and quiet periods can take you only 20 minutes. A cab ride from the downtown core to the Airport will cost you approx $50 including tip. You can ask for a flat rate which can save a few dollars. The downtown airport bus runs a regular schedule to and from the downtown core to the airport. The bus stops and picks up at the major hotels in downtown Toronto including the Fairmont Royal York, Sheraton Centre, Hilton, etc. The cost is currently $16.45 and is highly recommended. You can find more information here at Toronto Airport Express.
9. Do I have to sign a lease with a furnished rental?
Yes, you should expect to sign a lease if the stay is longer than a month. You enter an agreement similar to a traditional unfurnished rental.
10. If I am staying for a long period, why don't I just rent a traditional unfurnished apartment and furnished it myself?
You can save money if your duration of stay is longer than a year and you furnish an apartment yourself. If you are an extremely resourceful individual, know the city well and have a car this can work for you. However, for most people who come to a new city for a temporary stay, finding the time or resources to accomplish this task is quite a challenge.
11. What is the GST and should I expect to pay this on my furnished rental?
The GST is the federal Goods and Services Tax by the Government of Canada which is applied to most products and services. As of July 1,2006 this tax is 6% of purchase price. Yes you should expect to pay this on top of your purchase price.
12. If I am a visitor from outside of Canada is GST refundable on my accomodation?
Yes, GST is refundable only in very specific situations. For hotels, your GST charged is refundable if your hotel stay is less than a month, and your total cost is greater than $200. You must claim this within a year of short term accommodation stay. Please see the Government of Canada's Tax Refund for Business Travel to Canada guide for more details.
13. What is the PST(ORST)?
The PST is the Provincial SalesTax (Ontario Retail Sales Tax).It is a consumer tax imposed on the purchaser (consumer) of goods and certain services, which are consumed within the province of Ontario. Please see the Government of Ontario website for more details. The PST is calculated at four different rates depending on what is being purchased. For transient (Hotels, motels etc.) accommodation the PST is 5%.
14. Should I stay at a furnished rental?
If you require a visit of just a few weeks, it would generally be advisable to find hotel since most furnished companies require a minimum stay of one month. If your visit is over a month long a furnished rental is advisable if you do not like the smaller quarters of a hotel
15. How do I choose the right Furnished provider?
When looking for a furnished provider on the web, the more information the company provides the better. A company should list their prices, policies, services, amenities and contact information. Sometimes the general quality of a companies website can be is as a general indicator of the company, but not always. Shop around like you would any purchase that you find important to save money on. There is a lot of variation among the companies who provider furnished rentals and short term accommodations, and they all cater to different needs. One end of the spectrum you have the smaller companies with just a few rentals that might provide that personal touch, and on the other end you have very large companies service high capacity and volume. Lastly, contact the company you are interested in and ask the questions you need answers for. We have provided all the contact information you will need in our Furnished Company List.
16. What is the TTC? Is it safe?
TTC stands for The Toronto Transit Commission and is the public transit system of Toronto. Locals will refer to the subway as the TTC. The TTC is extremely safe and clean. There are several main artery streetcars and buses called the Blue line that run 24 hours. You can find more detailed information at the Toronto Transit Commission website.
17. Do you have a website providing information about furnished rentals about other cities?
No, not at this time.
18. Where can I find the exchange rate for the Canadian dollar?
You can find the exchange rate for the Canadian dollar against other currencies at the XE.com website or the FXConverter website or the Yahoo Finance Currency Converter website.
19. Is living in downtown Toronto safe?
Yes. Compared to most major North American cities, Toronto is extremely safe. The resident population in downtown Toronto is growing extremely fast as more and more condominium and apartments are being constructed. There is a lot of choice of accommodations and there is great day to day living infrustructure (grocery stores, markets, dry cleaning, etc).
20. What is the GTA?
The GTA stands for the Greater Toronto Area. It combines the regions of
the City of Toronto, York, Durham, Peel and Halton. The combined population of the GTA is over 5 million people, and ranks fifth in size for U.S.
and Canada only behind Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Philadelphia.
