Finding Housing

Temporary Housing

Hotels, Motels, and Cottages

Cape Breton has some great hotels and motels that you can stay in. There are also a lot of cabins and housekeeping cottages that could accommodate your needs. These may have living rooms, kitchens, and bedrooms, and are scattered around the Island. 

Airbnb

Many communities in Cape Breton have listings on Airbnb. You can rent single rooms, entire apartments, or homes to stay in while you look for a place. You can rent nightly, weekly, or monthly, depending on the listing. You’ll need an account to book accommodations. 

Renting 

What to expect

When renting apartments or houses in Cape Breton, it is standard for landlords to ask tenants to sign a lease. This may be month-to-month or yearly. 

Most apartments come equipped with appliances such as a fridge and stove/oven. Not all apartments have washing machines or dryers, while some have coin-operating washing facilities. Standard apartments have a washroom, kitchen, living room, and bedroom(s). 

Signing a lease

A lease includes rights and responsibilities for the landlord and the tenant. A damage deposit of half a month’s rent is usually required for rentals. For example, if you’re renting a building for $1,000, a damage deposit of $500 is usually required with your first month’s rent. This is to cover any incidentals that may occur. If there is no damage to the building when you move out, you will likely get this back. 

Landlords may also ask for references before you sign the lease to ensure you are who you say you are or that you have a job to support you.

Where to find apartments for rent

Facebook Marketplace

Facebook Marketplace is the built-in classifieds tool for the Facebook social media platform. Through this platform, users may list items/services they have for sale as well as rentals. Where this platform attaches an actual user, their profile, and the location to a listing, it allows those interested in searching for items or rentals to search for those that are nearest to them.

Kijiji

Kijiji is a great classifieds website. People post buy and sell, services, and real estate on Kijiji. You can browse for free, but in order to message someone through the platform, you’ll need to create an account. Rental units can be found in short (weekly) or long-term (monthly/yearly) sections. See places for rent in Cape Breton. 

Newspapers 

Local newspapers have classified sections that may list housing options.

Buying a Home

Real Estate

In addition to the resources above for rentals, which can also show results for purchasing a home or property, local real estate agents and companies are also a terrific resource. If you are interested in purchasing a home, there are many real estate agencies on the Island who would be happy to show you what’s available.

Property Taxes

If you choose to purchase a home in Cape Breton – Unama’ki, you will need to pay tax on the property you’re buying in two instances:

  1. Deed Transfer Tax – When you first purchase your home, you are required to pay Deed Transfer Tax. The tax rate is determined by each municipality and is calculated based on the sale price of the property. Deed Transfer Taxes are a one time payment when you purchase your home, and are collected on behalf of the municipality through Land Registration Offices, where the deed is registered/recorded. For more information, please the Nova Scotia Government website.
  2. Property taxes – are different from Deed Transfer Tax, and are collected every year. Some municipalities will collect property tax payments once, twice or more frequently throughout the year. Municipalities set different tax rates for residential properties and businesses. The money collected goes towards the maintenance of sewers, roads, parks, municipal building and services in your community. To learn about the property taxes in your area, visit your local municipal office or website.

Furniture 

There are many used and new furniture stores and businesses located across the Island. A quick internet search is best to find the stores nearest your location. As the available furniture will vary from store to store, it’s recommended that buyers shop around and check multiple stores to find the right items for them.

Facebook Marketplace

Facebook Marketplace is also a great resource for used furniture. Where this platform attaches an actual user, their profile, and the location to a listing, it allows those interested in searching for items or rentals to search for those that are nearest to them.

Kijiji

When looking for used household goods, a great place to check is Kijiji. People will sell used furniture, appliances, art, clothing, and post garage sales to Kijiji. See all furniture in Cape Breton. 

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Last Modified: November 22, 2021