Relocation

Visit the multiple listings site (MLS) to help in your search for housing and realtors.

Additional housing and rental information resources:

• Kijiji - Canadian public website with local real estate and rental listings
• Home Finder - Resale and new home construction in the local area
• Sabbatical Homes - Short-term rental property listing
• Viewit - Apartments for rent in Kitchener-Waterloo area
• University Housing - Short-term rentals in student villages (seasonal)

The University of Waterloo payment of moving and travel expenses is governed by Policy 28. details and contact your department or Faculty before making any arrangements.

The University of Waterloo has competitively bid and selected two suppliers (one for domestic, and, one for international moves) to be under contract for moving services. They both have a proven record of excellent service, understand some of the challenges that can become troublesome during a move, and are very familiar with the University’s moving policy, eligible services and methods. Both of these suppliers will also invoice the University directly, so you will not be out of pocket for any period of time. If you are responsible for any costs over and above the eligible coverage under the policy, our Finance Department will contact you to arrange re-payment options.

In addition, by using our contracted suppliers, you also have the direct interaction between University personnel and our selected supplier should there be any concerns, or to assist with any problems that arise during your move.

You are not obligated to use our contracted suppliers, and are welcome to solicit quotes and hire a third party should you prefer. We caution you in doing so, as history has proven that these two suppliers, acting as our agents, will offer competitive rates and good service, accumulated by many years of history servicing moves precisely like yours. The University will not entertain additional direct billing accounts, so you will have to negotiate, interact and pay any third party directly, and then claim reimbursement from the University in the form of an expense.

There are several websites that you can refer to help you settle into the Kitchener-Waterloo community. They are:

• New to Waterloo
• Settlement.org
• Immigration Waterloo Region
• Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) relocation guide
• Immigrant services through Citizenship and Immigration Canada

A family pet is like another member of your family. And just like a child, your pet will require the proper papers in order to enter Canada. So, if you are planning to bring your pet with you, please check the Government of Canada inspection website to ensure nothing unforeseen occurs during your entire family's relocation to Waterloo.

Here is a list of major utilities most frequently used in the Waterloo Region:

• Evova Power
• Bell Canada
• Enbridge Gas
• Rogers cable
• Shaw Direct

Many traditional banks, credit unions, and trust companies can be found within the Kitchener Waterloo area. Many of these banks will also offer credit cards (both secured and unsecured credit), loans for vehicle purchases, mortgages, and investments. To find out more about each bank, check out their sites:

• Bank of Montreal (BMO)
• Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC)
• The Royal Bank (RBC)
• TD Canada trust
• Waterloo county education credit union

Other non-traditional banks, such as Tangerine and Presidents Choice Financial, offer services only through the Internet and/or phone.

Currency transfer/exchange

Once you have set up an account in Canada, you should transfer and/or exchange some currency from your home country. This will allow you to put down a deposit on a rental home, vehicle purchase, home purchase or anything else you need upon your firsts arrival to Waterloo. Any of the major banks you have your account with will do a wire or e-transfer from an international bank to one in Waterloo - just be sure to have the appropriate "transit numbers" when doing so. Another method is to use an e-transfer company rather than your bank. Many times, these e-transfer companies will have a much lower transfer/exchange rate than the banks will have.