Living off Campus
Not everyone want to live on campus and those who have after a year or so sometimes are interested in becoming
more connected to the city they are living in by living in the general community. Getting off campus housing is an
appealing option for many students because:
- You will not have to follow as many rules if you live off-campus. Residence halls have several rules that students
must abide by when living on-campus. (These rules are usually designed for the overall protection and safety of the
residents).
- Living off-campus will help you be more responsible. If you live off-campus, you will be in charge of paying bills,
cleaning house, grocery shopping, and cooking. Being responsible is a good quality to possess.
If you're planning to live off campus, I hope the following personal suggestions will come in handy in your search for
accommodation in Edmonton.
- Start your search early, especially if you are looking for a place for September or January. I would suggest that you
start searching for your place a month before you move-in date. When you find a place you really like, be quick and
do not wait. Good places are gone very very quickly
- Try not to sign a long lease/contact. Some landlords will try to offer you a cheaper deal if you sign for two or three
years lease. This can be tricky when you want to move out earlier. Moreover, it will take you a while to figure out
whether you like your new place
- Find a place with convenient transportation. Winter can be really cold here in Edmonton. You do not want to end up
walking 15 minutes to your nearest bus stop. Check out the city transit website for more information.
- Ask for a furniture. Most affordable places are unfurnished. It does not hurt if you ask your landlord to find you some
furnitures.
- It is always cheaper when you share a house or an apartment with your housemates. However, living with someone
can be difficult. Think carefully before you decide to share a house/apartment
The following three websites provide excellent resources for off campus housing:
- Rentingspaces.ca provides off-campus housing search services to participating schools and to the public [link]
- Homebase.ca is Edmonton's leading online source for Edmonton rental properties for detached homes, town homes,
condominiums and apartments [link]
- RentFaster.ca also offers online source especially for apartments [link]
Living with Canadian HomeStay
Local Homestay can be one of the most memorable times of international students' lives. Homestay is
accommodation for international students with Canadian families while studying English in Canada. Students usually
have 2 meals with the family. International students can request a wide variety of accommodations. Some students
want; kids, pets, roommates and farm setting. Some students want a single room, downtown, and be able to walk to
school.
In a homestay, students will have a private bedroom and access to the kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, and
necessary appliances. The host family will also help international students with daily tasks. I would say a homestay
option would be best for students who want to learn more about the language and culture, home-stay housing
program would be the most suitable choice. Being in this program, you will become an extended family member of a
Canadian family. All utilities and foods are included in approximately $600 CAD monthly payment.
The following three websites provide excellent resources for homestay option:
- The faculty of Extension offers a homestay option mainly for ESL student [link]
- Beacon homestay helps you find a kind Canadian family in Edmonton [link]
- Nacel Canada is another option for finding a homestay [link]
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