Off Campus Housing

Most North American post-secondary institutions have services specially designed to help students find appropriate housing off campus. This could be a website or an office staffed with knowledgeable people. Their mission is to provide students with useful information about housing in your school's city, to advise students facing difficulties in their housing search (with their landlords or with roommates), to provide up-to-date listings of available housing, and to provide this service in a friendly and efficient manner. At the same time, sometimes searching on your own can reveal real estate treasures that complete your education experience in just the right way!

If you plan on attending Laurier or the University of Waterloo, both in the Kitchener-Waterloo area, you may want to check out the different types of Waterloo Ontario homes for rent close to your school. Similarly, if you are planning to attend Fanshawe College or the University of Western Ontario, then you will want to scope out what is available in London Ontario real estate. There are all sorts of houses for rent in these student areas, from bungalows to high rise apartments to old houses that have been divided into many one-bedroom units. There are many resources available through the schools as well. Most universities and colleges have a website that lists all of the rental properties that are in close proximity to the school, and even have staff to help you find off campus housing that is right for your needs and budget.

If your destination school is the University of Toronto, Humber, George Brown College, or any of the other amazing schools in the GTA, looking at St. Lawrence Market condos may be out of your price range as a student, yet there are many other affordable options for housing, such as the Corktown lofts. Toronto has many options for great housing. Again, seeking advice and information from the school is a great place to start, since they know the city and its neighborhoods well, and can advise you on where you should live, and in what type of accommodations.

There are many things to consider when choosing your off campus housing. Do you want to live close to the school, or in the heart of the downtown core? Is it important to live close to a bus route or subway line, or do you need a place with ample parking? Would you rather have a large backyard and a big patio, or would you prefer an apartment with no yard maintenance to worry about? Do you plan to live alone or with roommates - and if you do decide to live with others, how do you divide the bills and living expenses evenly? There are all very important questions to ask yourself when considering what your life will be like in your new student home.

Once you have answered all of these pertinent questions, your housing search can begin. Most schools have a webpage that is devoted to housing linked to the main website of the college or university. A little bit of research will go a long way, whether you are looking at Hamilton houses or Streetsville real estate, and finding the right student housing will have a dramatic impact on your success while you are in school.