This blog is here to work as the ultimate Vancouver accommodation Guide. 30 days from now, on the first day of January 2010 you will be able to download as one pdf every kind of information that you might need in order to find accommodation in Vancouver during the Olympic Games or not!

Welcome to Vancouver guide!

Vancouver is Canada’s third largest city and its biggest on the West Coast. Vancouver’s location on the Pacific Ocean gives the city a mild climate year-round. It seldom snows in winter or gets extremely hot in summer. Vancouver’s natural deepwater harbour has helped the city become one of the largest and busiest ports in North America and one of Canada’s leading industrial centres. Leading local industries include high-tech, film production, tourism, forest products, and trade and financial services. People come from all over to visit Vancouver, which is famous for its beautiful natural setting and for its more than 190 parks. Vancouver is consistently rated in the top three of the world’s most livable cities. The city’s combination of economic opportunity and environmental appeal has led people from around the world and across Canada to make Vancouver their home. These newcomers, like you, have helped contribute to the city and region’s continuing rapid growth.

Homes in Vancouver

Vancouver has a variety of housing, including single-family homes, apartments, condominiums, and townhouses. The downtown West End is mainly high-rise apartment buildings and condominiums, while much of the rest of the city is single-family homes mixed with low-rise, apartments, medium density condos and townhouse developments along major streets.

Where to stay until you find a home

Staying in a hotel in the heart of the city may be too expensive for some people, but the Downtown YMCA and YWCA have rooms with kitchens for low prices. In addition, there are apartment hotels that have rooms or suites with kitchens. Check the Yellow Pages in the telephone book under “Hotels” and “Motels”. If you are not purchasing a home and are considering rental accommodation, there are a number of ways to find a rental home. Check classified ads in city and community newspapers, bulletin boards in shops, neighbourhood agencies or local community centres. Check the Yellow Pages under “ Rental Agencies”. Or go to a neighbourhood you like and walk or drive around looking for “For Rent” signs posted in front of the building.

For low-cost housing information, check with B.C. Housing (www.bchousing.org) at 4382 Kingsway (Tel: 604-433-2218). You may also look at the City of Vancouver’s non-market housing inventory through the Housing Centre’s webpage at: www.city.vancouver.bc.ca

Renting: tenants and landlords

The Province of BritishColumbia has rules and regulations about what landlords and renters must do. These rules and regulations are contained in BC’s Residential Tenancy Act. Contact the BC Residential Tenancy Office (Tel: 604-775-2829) or their 24-hr Information Line at 604-660-1020. The Office also publishes a useful guide titled A Guide for Landlords & Tenants In British Columbia, which is also available on their website at: www.pssg.gov.bc.ca/rto/

If you rent and have issues as a tenant, you can contact Tenants Rights Action Coalition (TRAC, Tel: 604-255-0546, hotline: 1-800-665-1185). They also have a handbook called the Tenant Survival Guide. The City’s Tenant’s Assistance Program (Tel: 604-873-7487) also provides information and assistance.

Finding a home to buy You may be considering the purchase of a house, a townhouse or a condominium. There are special newspapers that only have listings of homes for sale. You can also walk or drive around neighbourhoods you like, looking for “For Sale” signs. Almost all houses are sold through real estate agents. A real estate agent can help you look for a home. The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver can provide more information on home buying. Check their website at: www.realtylink.org