Finding off-campus housing can be stressful and confusing for many! It’s hard to figure out where to look, when to start looking, and what to look for, especially if you’ve never house hunted before. Whether you’re moving out of dorms, your house, or arriving in Ottawa for the first time, this guide will tell you everything you need to know to find off-campus housing in Ottawa!
Where to look
When I was looking for housing for the first time, I struggled with finding listings. There’s no one website where every house and apartment are listed, so you’ll have to regularly check a few different sites until you hopefully find a listing you like.
My number one recommendation is looking on rentals.ca. This website allows you to filter listings based on criteria like neighbourhood, # of bedrooms, price, etc. It’s also one of the most popular sites, so new listings are often posted. When you see a listing you like, you can contact the landlord through the site in order to set up a viewing!
I’d also recommend Facebook Marketplace, Kijiji, and RentCafe. Another tip is to walk around the neighbourhood you’re interested in and keep an eye out for rental signs! You’d be surprised at the amount of houses that you can find for rent, and the signs will include either a website address for the online listing or a phone number so you can find out more details!
When to look
Most off-campus housing for students will have leases that start either May 1st or September 1st. Even if you won’t be here over the summer, you may have to sign a May 1st lease if it means getting the place you want, or vice versa if you are here and the place has a September 1st lease. There’s no ‘start date’ where everyone begins looking for places, but I would recommend starting to look in January / February. If you want a May 1st lease, you should probably start touring places in March at the latest, and if you want a September 1st lease you should be touring by summer at the latest. You don’t want to leave it too close to the lease start date, but also keep in mind that the sooner it gets to the date, the more listings tend to pop up. If you find a listing of a place you like, I would reach out to set up a booking ASAP since it’s often first come first serve.
what to look for
If this is your first time renting a place that isn’t your home or a dorm, it can be hard to know what to look for. The first thing you should do before looking at any listings is make a ‘wishlist’, either by yourself or with roommates. On this list you can figure out how many rooms you need, your budget, how far from campus you’re comfortable with, and anything extra like if you REALLY want a dishwasher or a big living room. When you’re touring a place, make sure to ask what’s included in the rent (hydro, electricity, wifi, etc.) and if any furniture is staying. You may even want to ask for a way to contact the current tenants so you can get an honest review of the place. Although it can be tempting, don’t jump into a place just because you feel pressured to sign a lease! I made that mistake last year, and trust me, it’s worth spending more time touring places than signing a lease to a place you don’t like.
In terms of neighbourhoods to look at, the biggest one for student housing is Sandy Hill. This neighbourhood is great because it’s close to the university, close to grocery stores on Rideau street, and you’ll be surrounded by other students. Some other neighbourhoods to keep an eye out for are the Golden Triangle, Upper Ottawa East by Lees, and Lowertown. If you’re okay with being further from campus and having more of a commute, you can expand your search to other areas as well, such as The Glebe or Vanier.
Hopefully this guide to house-hunting in Ottawa has helped relieve some of the stress that comes with looking for housing. It may seem overwhelming at first, but you got this. Good luck and happy hunting!