It’s that time of the year again—meeting with landlords, filling out applications, asking for loans and hoping you don’t get screwed. We’re talking about apartment hunting.

“The first apartment my boyfriend and I looked at seemed great until the landlord, who had scheduled a time to meet, asked us to wait an hour more once we had already gotten there,” said Janet McDonald, 24, a student in the architectural technology program.

“We grabbed a beer, wasted some time and headed back to see the unit until the landlord pushed the meeting back again and hung up on us, resulting in us quickly losing interest,” said McDonald.

According to the George Brown housing services website, students can usually find a place to live within two to three weeks.

Make sure you’re prepared and know exactly what you’re looking for. Before your search, get familiar with your rights on the Landlord and Tenant Board’s website (www.ltb.gov.on.ca) to avoid any questionable scams.

According to the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Toronto has a vacancy rate of 1.9 per cent. What does this mean? A vacancy rate is calculated as the percentage of all available units that are vacant at any given time.

No matter the vacancy rate, students looking for an apartment must keep their eyes peeled. Often, apartments are put up for rent and taken down on the same day. You must act fast if you’re passionate about cutting down on commute costs and being closer to the heart of the city.

“The next apartment we looked at quickly had us questioning if it was worth it as we noticed there was only a shutter separating us from our neighbours’ children,” said McDonald.

Luckily enough, their search ended on a positive note, finding a place within walking distance of Casa Loma campus, with no curious children.

George Brown’s housing services website is informative and includes a link to Ontario Student Housing, a website that helps match tenants with renters.

The Student Association’s website has more housing resources, including a housing registry that has local housing listings for students as part of a national housing registry operated by the Canadian Federation of Students.

While George Brown College is not opening their own residence in the Canary District until 2016, after it’s used as part of the athletes village for the Pan Am Games, there are private student residences such as the Primrose Hotel.

Being at the right place at the right time could make all the difference.

If you’re finding that listings online are getting you nowhere, it never hurts to explore your desired area to spot “for rent” signs posted in windows.

Always walk around the neighbourhood at night with a friend to ensure that you’re comfortable living in the area. Be aware of children living in the same building with you as well because the last thing you need is the pitter-patter of footsteps waking you up at 7 a.m. after a long night of studying.

The apartment hunting process may seem extensive and sometimes endless. But, if you dedicate your time and don’t settle for anything less than you deserve, you’ll be hosting your own dinner parties in no time.