Behind the Curtain: Sharing Our Leasing Process
Here at NHA we’re big fans of transparency, which you may know if you’ve been in our world for a while! That’s why we thought we’d take some of the conversations coming up at recent events and Community Advisory Group meetings (our quarterly meetings with and for residents) and share them with the big, wide world.
Our leasing process itself is not all that complicated, but understanding how to get into a unit with us can be more nuanced. So here we’ll address both pieces. Let’s dive in!
WHERE TO FIND LISTINGS
The most common question we get is “how do I find a unit with NHA” - and while that makes us blush a little (who doesn’t want to be wanted!?) - we know that the answer can be kind of frustrating.
Not because the process is difficult – but because turnover is very, very low. So low, that it’s often months between vacant units.
And since having a waitlist that stretches on for a decade is not fair (to you or us), we opted for a simpler system. One where you can check as often as you want and get all the details you need about the unit available.
All available NHA units are now posted on Rentfaster – you can use this link to get directly to our page and filter out everything else (https://www.rentfaster.ca/maps/?user_ID=112673)! As mentioned above, the page is often blank. We know that gets frustrating, but we’re grateful to say that we have a community where people often stay. For a while. Or forever.
WHAT WOULD MAKE AN APPLICANT MORE SUCCESSFUL?
We aren’t concerned about your personal information and we don’t target certain folks (or deny others), but we do look for one specific thing in our residents: a value fit!
Nor do we expect you to know everything about our housing model or our expectations for ourselves and residents. We will ensure residents’ remain successfully housed with us to the best of our ability. That said, when a resident has a sense of how we operate and can speak to why our community is a fit for them, that can sometimes make a big difference.
You’re one applicant in sometimes hundreds, so knowing a few details can help us understand right away how we might be able to find the right fit for our community - and for you! Telling us a little something about you only helps! Feel free to share what you know about NHA, why you want to live in the neighbourhood, and give us a sense of who you are in your application!
HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FOR MARKET RENTALS AND RENT-GEARED-TO-INCOME (RGI) RENTALS?
In short, there’s very little that’s different other than if it’s an RGI unit, we will require income verification.
What you pay in rent, does NOT affect the unit you’re given (in fact, with such low turnover, we couldn’t make that work anyways). What you pay in rent does NOT determine the maintenance or level of service you can expect to receive from NHA. You never have to worry that that your maintenance or leasing concern is too small or not worth asking - it’s important to us!
We want to keep all of our units and our buildings in a condition that preserves the integrity of our community now and well into the future. What a resident pays in rent does not, nor will it ever, indicate the level of care, support, access to community, and upkeep of unit that they receive from NHA.
WHAT KIND OF LEASE AND LEASING PROCESS DOES NHA USE?
NHA uses a fixed-term lease that ranges from 1-12 months depending on the point of tenancy. We typically start new residents with two 3-month lease terms to ensure fit for both the resident and NHA and then from there we are flexible, often working with the resident to establish a lease term that feels comfortable for both parties (but never surpassing 12 months).
When we re-sign leases with residents, NHA staff takes the time to ask how things are going. Residents can expect to receive a phone call from one of our staff members and potentially an invite to an in-person meeting. These meetings are meant to be supportive to the resident - going over any leasing concerns, answering questions, and discussing renewal term length. Even when an in-person meeting isn’t requested, residents always have the opportunity to provide feedback to NHA through our e-document forms.
At every stage of living with us, we want to hear from ALL of our residents to ensure that we are doing our best to create a community where everyone belongs – and everyone can live with dignity and comfort.
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT SIGNING YOUR LEASE
Your lease is your (and our) legal directive – it's very important to us that residents read their leases thoroughly and know both their rights and their obligations. If you struggle to understand legal documents or just would feel more supported having someone with you, we welcome you to bring someone along to your lease signing.
Also, it is important that you know that our market renters and our RGI renters receive the SAME lease – with one addendum for RGI renters that outlines the mandatory submission of your annual income.
All residents share the same responsibility to abide by the rules of the lease, sign (and re-sign) on time, maintain their units and recognize that a failure to do so may result in non-renewal of their lease.
HOW DO MOVE-INS WORK?
You’re going to notice a theme here but...we ask you to just be considerate and neighbourly when moving in (or out)! Our buildings are multi-residential, meaning you’re entering a shared space and community and it’s supportive of everyone’s wellbeing to keep that in mind.
We always encourage residents to give some thought to the type of community they want to be part of, to be IN, and how they can show up in service to that sense of community. Taking care of your unit and shared spaces, considering the impact of your guests and/or pets, minimizing extraneous noise in the halls and your unit – these are all small things that can have a huge impact on the peace and harmony of existing together.
Additionally, we always encourage residents to share with us what would encourage them to engage more wholly with the organization and in the community overall! We love receiving feedback and use it to prioritize tasks, events, and even funds. So please, as a resident of NHA we don’t want you to be shy. Share with us what would make our community even better!
In fact, we recently added an entire position to our staff to support resident wellness! You can read more about what led us to that decision here, or call to speak to our Wellness Coordinator!
DO YOU STILL WORK WITH PARTNER AGENCIES?
In terms of housing, we do not currently work with partner agencies.
However, if you HAVE a partner organization, your process to apply is the same! If you want to share that you have additional supports or bring a case worker with you to a showing, you are more than welcome! That said, having a partner organization does not change the likelihood of receiving a unit - because it’s just one piece of the puzzle – so ultimately your application will still come down to the right fit for both parties (you and us!).
If you are currently living with us or hoping to live with us in future, and concerned you may need supports, we always encourage you to reach out to NHA - but to also consider where you have - and can foster - outside supports to ensure you have a peaceful and healthy lifestyle overall.
WHAT NHA WANTS YOU TO KNOW
Here’s a few things these landlords-with-a-purpose want you to know about making your home with us!
We would rather hear about a maintenance issue than you be stressed you’ll be charged for it - we always give you a clear indication of whether this is a charged fix (it rarely is) or something you shouldn’t consider an emergency or maintenance concern in future.
We wish we had more units and housing available and it’s difficult for us to know that with every available unit we are turning away countless qualified and incredible humans who would make a great addition to our community.
Our expectation and hopes are that you leave our community better than you found it, and we leave you with a powerful sense of home and belonging.
We want everyone to have equitable access to a successful tenancy. Some require supports for this to happen and some don’t, but the access to housing is theirs regardless. Ultimately, it’s up to the individual to ensure they follow through on their commitments to their lease, and to their neighbours, to remain at NHA. We believe in the capability of folks to determine their path and what they need to make this possible. And sadly, it doesn’t always work out – NHA is not the right fit for everyone.
HAVE MORE QUESTIONS FOR US? Drop us a line at [email protected] or pop into the office. There’s always coffee and someone available to have a chat and hear your thoughts!