Settling into your new home

First week checklist

1. 1Set up electricity, gas, internet and water accounts if they are not included in your rent.
2. 2Buy tenant insurance and keep the policy number somewhere safe.
3. 3Change your address with the bank, your school, your employer and immigration.
4. 4Learn how garbage, recycling and organic waste are sorted and which day each is collected.
5. 5Find the nearest pharmacy, grocery store, bus stop, library and community centre.
6. 6Test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, learn the emergency exits and save the building contact number.
7. 7Learn the parking and laundry rules, and report pests as soon as you see them.

Important places near your home

Find the nearest pharmacy, grocery store, public transit stop, library, community centre, school, walk in clinic, hospital and settlement agency. Save the addresses in your phone and write down important numbers in case your phone is unavailable.

Keep a folder with your lease, your receipts, your utility bills and any letters from your landlord. If a disagreement ever happens, that folder is your evidence.