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How to Find Student Accommodation in Canada?
Whenever a student moves to a different country for education, how to find student accommodation in Canada is a Herculean task. When there are many options in Canada for study accommodation, it is easy to get confused.
Though most of the school and college campuses still provide accommodation in Canada to the students, some students prefer to live in rented houses as paying guests and travel to school, college, or library by public transport.
The accommodation offered by Canadian universities can be expensive for many students. So, the struggle to find budget-friendly lodging is not an easy task.
The thing is, universities mostly want to gain profit from the students by giving them accommodation. A student should choose wisely which campus residence they want.
The various challenges you might face during how to find student accommodation in Canada, include:
- Lack of knowledge about the living spaces and average rents of that place.
- Rental scams
- Unwelcoming culture of the people
- The brokers demand high student rooms for rent.
This write-up will provide you with information about student accommodation in Canada. This will help you to reside in peace with everything in your favor.
At Mindmine Global, we can help you with the immigration process and how to find student accommodation in Canada. We are one of India’s best immigration consultancy and IELTS coaching institutes.
Different accommodation options in Canada
If you want to reside in Canada, many housing options are available. They are broadly classified into on-Campus and off-campus accommodations. Go through the article below and learn about the various accommodation options for studying in Canada.
On-Campus accommodations
The educational institutions you are going to study in may provide accommodation facilities. These are termed dormitories or townhouses. The universities in rent provide these residential options.
These accommodations are beneficial to the students in the following ways:-
- Students are closer to universities
- They save transportation costs, such as food and clothing, that you can use on other occasions.
- Good access to the network and the library.
- Most of the on-campus residences are relatively less compared to paying guests.
- The universities provide all in all access to their amenities to the students living on campus.
You can purchase your meal plan from the campus cafeteria only with the meal plans of the accommodation. No need to spend extra time cooking and washing dishes. You can utilize those times in studying and preparing notes.
Off-Campus accommodation in Canada for international students
You can choose various off-campus accommodations as per the location of your campus. All the metropolitan cities have available accommodation facilities for their students. Choose your accommodation wisely so you can reach your campus conveniently and fast.
The following are the benefits of off campus residence:-
- You can avail yourself of lots of options in the city.
- A residence as per your choice.
- In off-campus residences, you can be free to cook and consume anything.
- Your roommates will also be of your choice.
The legal issues related to off-campus accommodations are higher. So, you must be careful while choosing and checking into the house you will be living in. Off-campus residences can create problems for international students if they are naive. So, you just make it a note to know all the norms and conditions.
Nowadays, besides rental, you can also avail yourself of the homestay programs.
What is a homestay program accommodation option?
The homestay program is a very beneficial plan for abroad students. Under this program, students can reside with a family in a nearby area of a university. The family they are staying with can offer meals and other utilities.
This program is a bit expensive in Canada. But it’s hard to ignore the benefits of this plan. The students can focus more on their studies while the household chores will be done by the family members hosting you.
You can trust the following networks to choose your homestay program accommodation in Canada:
Cost of living in Canada for students who choose a homestay program will cost about 600 to 1100 CAD.
If you are an international student, the other off-campus accommodation options available to you include:
● Subletting: how to find student accommodation in Canada
In this form of accommodation, a tenant who is mainly a student lives in a house for rent for this educational tenure. When his or her period of study is over in that place, he or she rents the house to the next student who wishes to live there. In this way, the home is passed from one student to another.
● Rental apartments
In this form of accommodation, you will take an apartment to rent and find another partner who will live with you in that apartment. Then you can split the bill between yourselves and pay at your convenience. Also, you can share the household tasks between you. Though this is simple for accommodation, this costs a bit higher.
While planning to study in Canada, you must take into consideration that it can be expensive. Of course, you need to choose wisely as per your budget. Go through the following points that must be kept in mind while choosing student housing in Canada.
Things to keep in mind while finding monthly room rent in Canada for students
● Know your rights as a tenant
You must know all the rules and regulations of your stay in the Canadian apartment. Canadian apartments have varying rules and regulations, and you must know your rights and restrictions.
● Ask what’s included in the overseas student living
Before checking in, ask the landlord what is exactly included in the package. Is food included in the package? Are washing and cleaning facilities available? Will housekeeping be provided? Will you be able to bring outside food into the accommodation? Who will do the repairs in case of any damages? Who will pay the tax and the electricity bills? These must be well clear to you and your family.
● Services included in accommodation cost in Canada for international students
You must know well about all the services included in your package, whether you will get an internet WIFI facility, whether you will get free electricity and water, and whether you can hire housemaids for you or not.
Needless to say, you will require more money to travel to your university and more time for traveling. It is your choice whether you will spend more money and save time for studying or you will save your money and adjust with transportation.
Cost of living in Canada for international students
The cost of living in Canada for Indian students per month will vary from one city to another. Living in Edmonton will vary from Ontario, Ottawa, and Alberta. For example, a person living in Toronto will have to spend CAD 1900 on an average per month, while a person residing in Montreal shall have to spend 850 to 1500 CAD per month.
Let us put forward the tentative costs of living in different Canadian cities:
- In student accommodation Vancouver, you have to spend money between 900 and 1300 CAD every month on rent.
- In Calgary, if you want to live in the best areas like Downtown, Beltine, Brentwood, and Kensington, the rental costs are between 600 CAD and 1400 CAD. Mount Royal University and the University of Calgary are the best universities in this area.
- In Montreal, you can get admission to McGill University, the University of Montreal, and Concordia University. The best areas for student accommodation are Old Montreal, Downtown, and Griffintown.
- Living in student housing Toronto may make a hole in your pocket, but you will come across many opportunities to study at prestigious institutes such as York University and the University of Toronto. Clairville, Kingsview Village, The Annex, and Dufferin Grove are good places for student accommodations.
It would be best for you to choose on-campus accommodations for studying in Canada. This would be the most cost-effective, but this would cost your freedom. You need to curtail your freedom in order to book an on-campus accommodation.
Short-term student accommodation in Canada
What is a short-term rent in Canada for students?
You can book this type of apartment for a very short-term period rather than the long-term rentals. This would cover up all four months of your semester.
Where can I find short-term house rent in Canada for students?
You can avail of the short-term furnished rentals in these popular places-Airbnb, Vrbo, Sublet.com, Kijiji, and so on. You can search for off-campus residential apartments online and read their reviews and comments to know whether they are legitimate or not.
How to use short-term rentals to your advantage as an international student?
When you arrive in Canada, you can use the short-term rental advantage to find your long-term accommodation spot. Find a short-term spot near your university or college, and then, during your stay over there, find your long-term living room.
Conclusion
As you can see, many different types of student accommodation are available in Canada, from on-campus residences to off-campus apartments. The accommodation you choose will depend on your budget, lifestyle, and location preferences.
While finding out how to find student accommodation in Canada, it is important to consider your budget and lifestyle needs. If you are looking for an affordable option, you may want to consider on-campus residences. These are typically cheaper than off-campus apartments and offer a range of amenities such as laundry facilities and study areas.
If you prefer more privacy and independence, an off-campus apartment may be a better option. These are usually more expensive than on-campus accommodation but offer more space and privacy.
When choosing your international student hostel in Canada, it is also important to consider your location preferences. If you want to be close to campus, on-campus residences may be a good option. However, an off-campus apartment may be a better choice if you prefer to live in a quieter area.
Mindmine Global will help you crack your IELTS with flying colors and help you with immigration to Canada. We have an amazing success rate and sent thousands of students to Canada.
FAQs
Eight months of living on campus, along with the meal plan will cost you about $14,000 to $16,000. It varies from one university to another. Contact your university to know the exact amount to be paid per month.
When you first listen to the price of on-campus accommodation, it will seem much higher than the cost of living on a rental basis away from the campus. But it includes lots of amenities and facilities. Also, it saves much time and money on traveling to the campus.
Go through the Canada homestay network: Yes Canada homestay, and Homestay. On these websites, you can find out the best homestays and choose from there as per your comfort and convenience.
convenience.
International students can find accommodation searching online. Rentals.ca, Padmapper, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, etc., are the platforms for finding residential apartments in Canada.
You can also have a look at popular aggregator websites like Sublet.com or Vrbo to find your accommodation. These websites have a listing of options in different areas in Canada. You can also check out other sources like Airbnb, and Kijiji for more availability of rental houses.
First, never approach a third party, always approach the landlord directly. Ensure you are going through a trusted mediator. Avoid depositing the security deposit before you get the apartment. Make sure your paperwork and all the conditions are explained clearly. Do not share your personal information (no more than what is required) with the landlord.
You can move to Canada at least two weeks before your university session begins. Two weeks are enough to complete the formalities for getting on-campus accommodation. You will also have enough time to scout for a place off-campus.
Harpal Singh completed his graduation from Delhi College of Arts and Commerce (DCAC), Delhi University and thereafter did his Post Graduation studies from Birla Institute of Management Technology (BIMTECH) and International Management Institute (IMI), Delhi. He has worked in the financial sectors with organisations like HDFC and Kotak in sales and training profile and joined the education sector with the biggest education company – Educomp Solutions Ltd. in 2011. He got an opportunity to introduce Digital Learning in thousands of classrooms of the schools and also interacted with a large number of students and teachers. This motivated him to start his own venture in 2014 to train and counsel the young learners with the help of the latest technology and teaching methodologies.
He is one of the most sought after IELTS trainers in the world right now and has trained students from India, UK, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Nepal, Uganda and Middle East countries. Harpal Singh is a certified trainer from – British Council, IDP, Pearson – PTE, TOEFL and Cambridge.
He has keen interest in counselling students for Study Abroad opportunities and professionals for PR in various countries. All his students are either studying in various prestigious institutes abroad or pursuing their dream careers in countries like Canada or Australia as permanent residents.