How do I search for an accommodation?

 What if no accommodation meets my needs?

 Are animals allowed in the accommodations?

For the safety of the hosts and disaster victims, reservations must be made prior to requesting the visit of the accommodation. The host's contact information and entry instructions will be provided to you after the reservation has been confirmed.
However, if you are looking for more information about the accommodation, don't hesitate to:
<ul>
<li>Look carefully at the listing of the accommodation</li>
<li>Read the comments and evaluations left by previous disaster victims</li>
<li>Talk to your Sinistar agent</li>
<li>Look at the photos of the accommodation and the list of amenities</li>
</ul>

Is it possible to visit the accommodation before booking it?

<ol>
<li>Availability</li>
</ol>
The availability of the hosts' accommodations does not appear on the site. A Sinistar agent will validate the availability for your.
<ol start="2">
<li>Types of accommodation</li>
</ol>
You won't be limited in your choice of accommodation. Sinistar hosts have several types of accommodations, which gives you more freedom of choice.
<ul>
<li>Houses : Entire dwellings that can be on several floors, including an independent entrance.</li>
<li>Condos and apartments: Entire units in a multi-unit building that can accommodate owners and tenants with a common or independant entrance.</li>
<li>Townhouses: Entire dwellings. These homes share at least one party wall with neighboring homes.</li>
<li>Lofts: Dwelling units with an open-plan bedroom.</li>
<li>Semi-detached: Whole dwellings sharing a common wall with the neighbouring house, while including a separate entrance.</li>
<li>Cottages : Entire dwellings located mainly outside big cities.</li>
</ul>
<ol start="3">
<li>
Host
The host is the owner of the accommodation you will be relocated in. You can see the comments left for the hosts by the disaster victims, as well as their ratings. The ratings take into consideration several elements, such as cleanliness of the premises, the host's hospitality, communication with the host, and the accuracy of the location. These reviews come from disaster victims who have been relocated with Sinistar, but also from other accommodation booking platforms to provide you with a broader pool of feedback and to make an informed choice.
</li>
<li>
Room Layout
</li>
</ol>
See at first glance if the rooms are laid out with single, double, queen or king beds.

Understanding Ads

Many of the Sinistar hosts offer family-friendly accommodations. If you need to be relocated with young children or babies, you can simply mention it in your <a href="https://sinistar.ca/en/insured-request?step=start">relocation request</a> in the "essential needs" section so that housing that meets your needs can be sent to you. You can also find out if a home is suitable for children or babies by looking at the home listing and the "amenities" section of the listing.
Sinistar is committed to creating an inclusive community, so don't hesitate to contact your Sinistar agent if you don't find what you are looking for.

Relocate with children

How do I search for housing?
You are a disaster victim and need to be relocated to an accommodation near you. A Sinistar host will most likely have a fully equipped home near your disaster site that meets your needs. Here are 3 ways to search and request housing from a host:
Online relocation request: Through the <a href="https://sinistar.ca/insured-request?step=start">online form</a>, you will be able to fill out a relocation request by answering a series of questions about your situation. A personalized option will be offered to you based on your needs.
General search: Using the <a href="https://sinistar.ca/en">search bar</a> on the home page, you will be able to do a quick search by indicating the location of your disaster and the number of rooms required.
Explore the options: Just want to see options but don't want to narrow your search too much? Check out the <a href="https://sinistar.ca/en">explore housing options near you</a> section to view existing housing in a specific area without further restrictions.
How to use the search filters?
Search filters are used to refine your search when looking for accommodation and to better understand your needs.
Filters for a preliminary search:
<ul>
<li>Number of people to be relocated</li>
<li>Number of rooms required</li>
<li>Location of the disaster</li>
</ul>
Additional filters when the application is filled:
<ul>
<li>Additional addresses to consider: work location, children's school, etc.</li>
<li>Essential needs: baby friendly, pet friendly, private parking, etc.</li>
<li>Date: start of relocation and planned end date</li>
</ul>

While browsing on the Sinistar site, you can't seem to find any option that suits you and no accommodation seems to meet all your criteria? Don't stop there: some accommodations are not published on the site. In fact, not all of the hosts' accommodations are found on the site, meaning that the Sinistar accommodation pool is actually much larger. All you have to do is fill out a <a href="https://sinistar.ca/en/insured-request?step=start">relocation request</a> indicating, with as much detail as possible, what you are looking for. A Sinistar agent will then solicit hosts to find an option that meets your specific needs.

Pets
We understand how important pets can be to you. However, hosts have the right to accept or refuse the presence of pets in their accommodation. A host may also accept pets subject to certain conditions to be respected by the disaster victim. The Sinistar agent assigned to your file will check for you.
Service animals
We understand that service animals are not pets. Normally, if the health and safety of the hosts and people living in the accommodation is not at risk, service animals will be accepted under the conditions of the host. Your Sinistar agent will verify this for you.

It is not uncommon for a relocation to be extended when the reconstruction of the disaster victim's home is behind schedule. Towards the end of your stay, you will receive an email asking if you need an extension of your relocation.
If an extension is needed, Sinistar will confirm with the host that their accommodation is available for the duration of the requested extension.
When the host confirms, a new contract and documentation will be automatically generated for you.
We recommend that you confirm with your claims adjuster, if required, before requesting an extension of stay.

How can I extend my stay?

Reviews are an effective way for disaster victims to evaluate hosts and share their experience. These evaluations are important because they allow Sinistar to ensure a standard of quality for future disaster victims who will be relocated with that host. It is also important for the host, because it allows him/her to have a feedback on the appreciation of the disaster victim's stay and to adjust, if necessary, certain elements. Following your stay, an evaluation questionnaire will be sent to you. The evaluation is related to the following points:
<ol>
<li>Your overall experience: Please tell us if your stay in general was up to your expectations.</li>
<li>Rate the following criteria from 1 to 5 (5 being the most satisfactory):
<ul>
<li>Cleanliness of the premises: was the accommodation clean?</li>
<li>Host hospitality: did your arrival go well?</li>
<li>Communication: did the host promptly answer your questions?</li>
<li>Accuracy of the location: did the accommodation correspond to the description?</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Your general comments: what were the strengths and weaknesses of your stay? This is only visible to Sinistar.
<ul>
<li>Example: the host was very helpful and answered all my questions. However, there were several items missing from the house including a toaster.</li>
<li>Example: the accommodation was clean and looked exactly like the pictures provided.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ol>

Help Center Sinistar

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Disaster Victim

Host Sinistar

Claims Adjuster

Frequently asked questions

Are you looking for a temporary accommodation following a disaster?