Student Accommodation in Canada: On-Campus & Off-Campus Housing

Home to over 600,000 international students, Canada offers a variety of student housing opportunities to this pool. From campus residences to shared apartments, and from studios to homestays, student accommodation in Canada is vast and caters to the needs of all. Choosing your student accommodation in Canada lets you explore a mosaic of neighborhoods with a unique charm. It is often observed that students of first-year are required to live on-campus, while the rest can choose from On & off-campus housing options. Check out: Cost of Living in Canada!

On average, on-campus accommodations can range anywhere from 1.54 lakhs to 9.86 lakhs a year. This can vary based on the type of accommodation chosen at Canadian universities. Off-campus accommodations in Canada can cost anywhere from 0.24 lakhs to 1.85 lakhs a month. Though off-campus student accommodations in Canada are more expensive than on-campus accommodations, often students opt for the option to explore and live on their own terms.

On-Campus Student Accommodation in Canada

Canadian universities offer a variety of accommodation services to international students. On-Campus housing options generally include townhouses, residential halls, dormitories, or apartments. Almost every most sought-after university in Canada offers on-campus housing.

These universities also offer to consult for student accommodations in Canada with the International Student Committee. Some of the facilities that offered on-campus student accommodations are:

• Dormitories usually are provided along with the kitchen, living space, laundry services, meal services, and common washrooms. Few allow international students to choose rooms or beds, few simply allot you.
• Townhouses limit you to fewer peers with you in a single room with no separate room sharing options. It would accommodate 3-6 students but still offers you all the required facilities.

Discussed below are the accommodation costs for :

Nearly all universities offer a wide range of facilities to students which includes meal plans, internet services, laundry facilities, common areas, short rental options, learning communities, and furnishing options.

• Many universities, in their residential application, ask students to select their gender - but are not required to.
• You also have the option to select a same-gender housing arrangement or a mixed-gender housing arrangement.
• Same-Gender Housing will include 1-5 roommates who have the same gender, and Mixed-Gender Housing could include 1-5 roommates of any gender.
• With laundry rooms located in each residence and students are also provided with laundry cards.

Students can choose the type of accommodation they wish to reside in. Dorms and apartments often opt most for kitchen, bathroom, and living space. Laundry hall, canteen, student shops, daily needs, parking area, entertainment services, garden, and dedicated reading rooms are also available in residential buildings of most of the universities.

Explore- Best student cities in Canada!

Advantages of On-campus Student Accommodation in Canada

• The paperwork involved in arranging leases from abroad is managed smoothly with university assistance.
• By renting on-campus student accommodation, which generally comes furnished, you’ll have somewhere to call home as soon as an international student arrives.
• Rent is often cheaper than the alternatives

Off-Campus Student Accommodation in Canada

Most of the universities offer and recommend first-year students to be on campus but may ask them to find off-campus accommodation. Off-Campus accommodation can even be a great option as it opens a lot of opportunities for you. Finding student accommodation in Canada is often challenging yet rewarding. You would be more exposed to meeting new people, making new friends, dwelling in majestic locations, and exploring the authenticity of the city.

With a busy rental market, supply and demand often observe seasonal fluctuations in Canada. Small towns in Canada have a limited market as compared to other popular cities in Canada among international students. For easing the students' hunt for off-campus student accommodation in Canada, most universities suggest students to check-out internal listings from university websites. They also advise students and have welfare offices or student housing offices to reach out to in case of any queries.

Discussed below are student accommodations in Canada by popular provinces:

Student Accommodation in British Columbia

This is one of the most appealing and admired places not just in Canada but across the globe, which has excellent healthcare services, a rich cultural heritage, and a high standard of living.

• The most suitable student accommodations can be found in Point Grey, which is located between Spanish Bank beaches and West 16th Avenue.
• International Student-friendly, pleasing and livable area which takes around 10-15 Minutes of bus ride from the University of British Columbia.
• If you’re looking for Columbia off-campus housing, Point Grey is a good choice. Other areas can be Kitsilano.
• International students can look for renting apartments by researching on NestPick and Vancouver BC Craigslist.
• Annually, you would need to have 4.31 lakhs to 6.16 lakhs for above-average living conditions.

Besides, British Columbia is excellent for finding educational opportunities and student-oriented accommodation facilities.

Student Accommodations in Ontario

Known as Canada’s economic heart and located in the center of Canada, Ontario has a population of over 14.5 million people.

• Thunder Bay in Ontario has a variety of off-campus rental housing options including single homes, duplexes, and apartments.
• If you wish to live off-campus, you need to research the availability of the same on your own.
• On average, Single Bedroom Rental (for a shared house) can cost an international student 0.24 lakhs - 0.37 lakhs, whereas a basic apartment would cost 0.40 lakhs - 0.49 lakhs per month.

The most helpful websites to search for in Ontario would be Rent Panda, Places4Students.com, and Home Sweet Home.

Student Accommodation in Nova Scotia

Whether it is sandy beaches or the culture and enthusiasm within the city, you’re never far from either. The weather is moderate, and there are a bunch of things to do throughout the year. The major housing options for international students are in Halifax. An average fee of the same is estimated to be around 4.93 lakhs to 8.63 lakhs annually. Some of the best sources to find student accommodation in Nova Scotia, Canada is places4students.com and zumper.com.

Student Accommodation in Quebec

The most affordable destination for students across the globe. Montreal and Quebec cities are the most beautiful cities in the province.

• The tuition rates are found to be the lowest in the entire country. Some of the world-renowned universities exist here, to name a few: Université de Montréal, McGill University, and Université Laval.
• The rental costs for the apartments are around 5.55 lakhs- 9.86 lakhs annually.
• The best way to find your housing options in Quebec is using these websites: student.com/ca, studentflat.ca, and irielocation.com.

Student Accommodation in Canadian Cities

Having explored accommodations in Canada per province, it becomes necessary to check out top cities and the student accommodation offers available for an international student. Some of these are listed below:

Apart from the above-mentioned cities, students also look for accommodation and housing options in Edmonton and Ottawa as they are home to some of the popular Canadian Universities.

Types of Student Accommodation in Canada

When hunting home outside of campus, there are a variety of options to explore. Before we look into these, let's first explore the taxes, utilities, and insurance work involved in getting student accommodation in Canada.

• Taxes and utilities- Taxes are often included in the rent. Utilities like electricity, gas, etc may or may not be included. If these are not included, you will be required to set up an account with a provincial utility provider.
• Insurance- Though insurance is not a legal requirement to lease out an apartment, it is often considered a good idea. Insurance for Renters can include cover for accidental damage that can be caused to the property.

Now let’s find out, what kind of student accommodations in Canada can be availed and how much would they cost you:

Student Accommodation in Canada- Renting Privately

This might seem the best option if an international student is looking for independent space. By getting a private space, you would be able to avail yourself facilities according to your needs. The options you would get are a private room, apartment, or suite.

• When renting a private room, you get access to a shared or separate kitchen, bathroom, and sometimes other parts of the home, such as the living room.
• The rent depends a lot upon the location, facilities, and the condition of the housing you go ahead with, but can range from 0.24 lakhs to 0.55 lakhs per month.
• In large cities like Toronto and Vancouver, the rent can be as high as 1.85 lakhs.

If you are opting for a lease, you may even ask the landlords to consider it and ask for the stay. Subletting can also be an option under renting.

Student Homestays in Canada

In homestays, as a student, you can live with a family already staying in the home location. Usually, the host family provides you with 1-3 meals per day. This might be a good option as it brings up the opportunity to dwell in the culture immensely.

Though homestays may cost a little more, you will have more time for your studies as the majority of the essential day-to-day activities will be taken care of by the host family. The average fee for homestays would be around 0.61 lakhs to 0.92 lakhs per month.

Student Dormitories in Canada

As mentioned about dorms previously in On-Campus housing, similar dorms are also available in off-campus student accommodation in Canada. Most universities even have a council or student body established to help them search dormitories apart from on-campus dorms.

• The dormitory rooms are typically furnished, but quite often the kitchen and bathrooms are shared with other students.
• However, there are even options for mixed-gender dorms, where you would have the option to have roommates and not gender-based roommates.
• The average cost of a dormitory room is around 1.85 lakhs - 4.62 lakhs per school year.

How to Choose Student Accommodation in Canada?

Well, the options are many and yes it gets exhaustive to find the best one. But, this is universally a slow and intuitive procedure. At the same time, you as a student should not forget to check on these points amid searching for student accommodations in Canada:

• Location/Near To The School
• Type of Housing
• Cultural surrounding
• Weather conditions
• Rent Fee & Variation across housing websites
• Personal Necessities
• Housing Agreement Policies

Moving to Canada? Check out What not to miss while packing, here!

From online listings and social media to advertisements on campus notice boards and signs in apartment windows, international student can find their best-suited apartment by focusing on researching their desired location in Canada. One should be ready with what they are looking for in an accommodation/housing facility and be prepared with a list of options to move in when they fly abroad.