Home Sweet Home: Off-Campus Living

Thinking about moving out of residence or your parents' home? There's a lot you can learn about living off-campus before you make the move.
 

Determine what you're looking for

Organize your priorities for a living place into search criteria, such as:

• Size - will you have roommates or live alone?
• Rent - what's the maximum amount you're willing to pay?
• Type of place - a high-rise apartment or a house?
• Location - does it make sense to commute for cheaper rent?
• Laundry - do you want on-site facilities or can you deal with the laundromat?
   

Shop around

After you know what you want, you can find rental listings by checking out:

• Your school's student services and housing website
• “For Rent” signs in neighbourhoods where you'd like to live
• Online classifieds like Kijiji
   

Inspect

A few things to consider when looking at a place for the first time:

• Do the appliances work? Are they included in your lease?
• How's the water pressure? (Check all the taps and the toilet)
• Are you responsible for heat, electricity and/or hot water?
• Are the windows and doors well-sealed? (This can dramatically affect your heating costs)
• Who is responsible for maintenance, snow removal and lawn care?
• Are there at least two outlets in every room? Do they all work?
• Talk to the current tenants about their experience, if possible
   

Sealing the deal

A typical lease should include:

• Monthly rental amount
• The term of your commitment (e.g. 12 months)
• Whether or not you provided a deposit
• Under what conditions and when that deposit will be returned
• Your landlord's agreement to pay the utilities (heat, electricity, etc.) if that's the case

Learn More

You should receive a copy of the lease and all of your roommates should have signed that lease. This ensures you are all responsible for the rent and any damage.
 

You're in

Paying the bills - Setting up a separate bank account for your rent money can provide peace of mind. Put enough funds in there at the beginning of each semester to cover your cheques and you won't have to worry about the dreaded "bounce" ... or an unhappy landlord.
 

Resources

Learn more about your rights and responsibilities as a renter in the province where you'll be going to school:

Alberta Opens in a new window.
British Columbia Opens in a new window.
Manitoba Opens in a new window.
New Brunswick Opens in a new window.
Newfoundland & Labrador Opens in a new window.
Nova Scotia Opens in a new window.
Ontario Opens in a new window.
Prince Edward Island Opens in a new window.
Quebec Opens in a new window.
Saskatchewan Opens in a new window.