Finding a Place to Live
Understanding Kingston’s Rental Market
- The City of Kingston has a challenging rental market – You must utilize many resources, websites, and listing services in order to see all of the properties available at any given time.
- Rental properties can range in price depending on many factors, including location, amenities, quality and finishes in the property, and type of property.
- Many landlords operate on a first come, first served basis. Being prepared, organized, and efficient is critical for securing accommodations.
Finding affordable housing options
- Proximity to downtown Kingston and campus dramatically increases the cost of properties.
- You may have luck finding cheaper rentals that are outside of Kingston’s downtown and may be outside the conventional student areas.
- While looking for properties further from campus, ensure they are near major bus routes to easily access campus.
- Renting a property by yourself can be expensive. Consider teaming up with another student to keep costs down.
- Don’t rely on just using Facebook to try and find a place to live. You need to use as many websites as possible – and check them frequently.
- Queen’s Community Housing manages the rental properties owned by the University, and rents to both undergraduate and graduate students. Supply may be limited as availability varies from year to year, depending on student graduations and move outs. Be prepared to search for alternatives.
University Owned Properties
Community Housing manages the student rental properties owned by Queen’s University.
Queen’s provides a variety of rental options both undergraduate and graduate students, which includes two apartment complexes located at west campus – An Clachan and John Orr Tower – as well as a variety of apartments and houses in the University District around campus.
All rentals units are governed by the Residential Tenancies Act (2006) and are one-year fixed-term leases.
External Housing Options
If you are seeking for resources for where to look for housing, be sure to download the OCLA’s Housing Resources Package to help guide your search. You can also book an appointment with the Off-Campus Living Advisor or reach out at ocla@queensu.ca for one-on-one or group support for your questions.
Off-Campus Living Advisor (OCLA)
Do you have questions about Off-Campus Housing, the Kingston rental market, and/or the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA)?
Adam, the Off-Campus Living Advisor, is here to help with all aspects of Off-Campus living. The Queen’s OCLA office is available to provide confidential guidance on evaluating off-campus housing, avoiding fraud, tenant rights and responsibilities, and resources for moving in/out.