Looking for a rental in Burlington, Milton or Oakville? Here’s what you need to know

Welcome to the second part of Inhalton.com’s summer rental series.

Last time, we looked at what the real cost of renting a place in Oakville, Burlington, Milton or Halton Hills is. This time, we’re looking at the role Realtors play in rental markets.

Many people think that if they’re only renting, they don’t need a Realtor, but that isn’t usually the case.

Fred Decarolis, who’s been a Realtor for 15 years, the last four at Revel Realty Inc. in Milton, is a specialist in dealing with those hunting for rental properties.

“The prices are the main topic of conversation whenever we talk to clients,” he said.

“It’s a lot more expensive than it should be out there.”

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But more than the cost, Decarolis said the bigger issue is people getting turned down for no apparent good reason.

“The turn-down rates are higher than ever before. People have good profiles, good documentation, but landlords are just saying ‘No’.”

That’s where a good Realtor comes in, said Decarolis. It’s their job to make sure the renter has everything they need to give them the best opportunity for success.

“If they’ve been declined before they come to us, we teach them how everything works. We have the listing, we do the calling for them. And we help them gather their documents – credit reports, employment verification, and other info that would support their case.”

Stephen Kilmer recently went through the process of renting a house in Oakville and he said using a Realtor made the experience much easier.

“I’ve run a small business for about 15 years now,” said the 57-year-old. “It’s pretty successful but it also means I don’t have traditional pay stubs and things like that.”

Kilmer said he was turned down every time he applied, usually without a reason, until he connected with a Realtor.

“We found a great rental, and I even offered to pay a year’s rent in advance, but we still got turned down. Apparently a lot of landlords had bad experiences during the COVID years and are really particular about whom they rent to.”

Kilmer said the Realtor was able to help him and his partner put together a package of all their documentation and take it to landlords before they visited. There were still lots of ‘no thanks’, but eventually they found a place in Oakville for $7,500 a month that met their needs.

“Ultimately, our Realtor saved us a lot of time and effort.”

Decarolis said, currently, the toughest market is for single people.

“The best advice I have for students who might be looking for accommodation is to think about roommates,” he said, thinking about the influx of students expected in Milton in the coming years with the new Education Village.

“There are some reasonable three-bedroom townhouses that go for less than $3,000. Split three ways, that’s in the price range for a lot of people.”

Decarolis said many potential renters don’t realize that there’s no cost to them for working with a Realtor who specializes in that market.

“We make our money from the landlord. It’s usually one-month rent split between the agents for the landlord and renter.”

Next time, we’ll talk to some people who are either currently or recently going through the rental process.