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Off-Campus Housing
Starting to think about living off-campus for the upcoming academic year? Students should be starting to look for off-campus housing 6 months prior to their ideal move-in date to avoid being rushed and overwhelmed during the search process.
Remember, just because you live off-campus, that doesn't mean that you need to miss out on events. First years can connect with LOCUS and upper years can find events on the Student Events Calendar.
Interested in connecting with someone about off-campus housing? Reach out to offcampushousing@wlu.ca to ask questions or arrange a 1:1 meeting with our Student Experience Coordinators. Also, don't forget to follow @laurieroffcampushousing on Instagram for consistent updates about tips for living off-campus, events and workshops, contests, and more!
If you decide to live off-campus, whether you're a first- or senior-year student, we have some resources to help you in your search.
Step 1: Starting Your Search
Off-campus housing can be a stressful and time sensitive part of the post-secondary experience, however if you start your search early, use your resources, be open-minded and realistic it can be much more manageable. Check out the links below for some online platforms to start looking at available listings.
Places4Students
Whether you are a student looking for off-campus housing or a landlord looking to post a housing opportunity, Places4Students could be the site for you.
Laurier has partnered with Places4Students.com, an off-campus housing website that specializes in providing students, schools and landlords with a quality rental property listing service.
Browse the property listings:
To help your search, you can:
- Use the roommate finder to look at profiles of fellow students who are looking for a place to live.
- Browse the student sublets listing for rooms or apartments for rent by students.
Ezra-Bricker Student Apartments
Another resource for finding off-campus housing is Ezra-Bricker Student Apartments. This resource includes a number of properties close to the Waterloo campus and are owned by Laurier, but managed by Campus Living Centres.
With Ezra-Bricker student apartments, you'll find:
- Off-campus housing that is a one to five minue walk to the Waterloo campus.
- Large bedrooms and common rooms, full-kitchen and two bathrooms in each suite.
- Housing that is cost-effective.
Here is an additional list of local off-campus housing opportunities in the Waterloo & Brantford areas:
- Accommod8U
- ICON
- Kijiji
- RezOne
- Bamboo Housing
- LieuTenants
- PadMapper
- Rentals.ca
- RentBoard (Brantford)
- Facebook Marketplace
- Student run Facebook housing groups
Please note Wilfrid Laurier University is not affiliated with any of these sites. Make sure you do your own inquiries for suitability because Laurier does not inspect, or other otherwise check the homes or rental properties listed on websites above.
Step 2: Visiting Potential Properties
Once you have looked online or asked your friends or classmates, it's time to start viewing any potential rental properties you could be interested in. It is highly important to never rent a property unseen. Even if you are unable to see a property in-person, we highly reccommend you arrange a live Zoom call with the potential landlord to view the property in real-time. Check out the links below to learn more about things to consider when living off-campus.
Before viewing your first potential rental property review these links to learn about questions to ask when viewing a listing, and important conversations with your potential roommates.
Living away from home can be overwhelming as you're navigating academic life and managing your own finances.
Dollars and Sense is Laurier’s money management program designed to help decrease your financial stress and increase your financial wellness. Find resources and tools to help you make the financial decisions that are right for you such as:
- living life on a budget
- credit and debit management
- financial life after graduation
- financial coaching
As this may be your first time thinking about signing an Ontario Standard Lease Agreement, it's important to know what to expect before signing to avoid any miscommunications or potential rental scams. Use the following links below to explore a template of an Ontario Standard Lease Agreement and a worksheet for reviewing your lease created by the Region of Waterloo.
Step 3: Signing the Lease & Getting Ready for Move-In
An Ontario Standard Lease Agreement is a legal document that once signed you are bound to for the duration of your rental term (indicated on your lease). For students, this could mean anywhere from 8-months, to 12-months, all the way up to 3 years. Starting April 30, 2018, landlords of most private residential rental units – from individual landlords to property management companies – must use the standard lease template for all new leases.
Purpose of the Ontario Standard Lease:
- A standard lease uses easy-to-understand language to help landlords and renters understand their equal rights and responsibilities.
Who Signs the Lease:
- All tenants and landlords should be signing your lease.
- Tenants who sign the lease may be jointly or solely responsible for the monthly rent. Typically in student housing, students will sign individual leases for single rooms, stating if the other tenants miss their rental payments, you are not responsible for the remainder of the rent.
- When signing a lease you are agreeing to rent for the entire duration for the rental term. Even if you are not living there. See our subletting section below for more information.
Tips for Signing:
- Read the lease carefully before you sign it.
- Ask about any section or clauses you do not understand and be sure you understand the explanation fully before signing.
- Once you have signed the lease, be sure to keep a copy for yourself, either printed or digital.
Considering the high-demand for student housing, you will most likely sign a lease 6-8 months before actually moving in. Be sure you are reviewing your move-in day stated on your lease as some leases will begin in May and others will begin in September. Check out our move-in checklist for things to look for and take note of on your move-in day.
Often times during the summer months or while students are away on their co-op or work terms, they will sublet their apartment. This can mean either you are looking to live in a rental unit for a short amount of time (typically 4 or 8 months) or you are looking for someone to live in your rental unit for a similar length of time.
When subletting this officially means that the person moving into your space will be paying the rent for that duration of time. Students can only sublet their apartment with the consent of the landlord and while the official renter may not be physically living there, if your name is on the lease, you are still responsible for that space. If you are interested in finding a sublet for your current rental space, connect with your landlord first to see if they have a short term sublet contract for you to use to protect yourself and your space.
Additional Off-Campus Housing Resources
Questions about your lease or looking for legal advice? Can't get a hold of your landlord? Check out these resources below for additional information.
Waiting for a maitenance issue to be solved in your unit? Check out these resources below for additional information.
Rental scams are real and can affect our students personal, financial, and academic wellness. Follow these tips to avoid being a victim of rental scams and be sure to use the information below if you have.
Things to Consider:
- Is the deal too good to be true?
- Is it drastically higher or lower than the average rental price?
- Go to the address or use the Street View feature of Google Maps to confirm the location.
- Is there any urgency or pressure to get the deal done quickly?
- Have you been asked to transfer money before a viewing (viewing deposit) or through an internet or wire transfer?
If you have been a victim of a rental scam, gather all documents and communications between the individual and yourself and be sure to contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre , your financial banking service, and the platform that you encountered the scam for assistance.