Off-Campus Housing

• International Student Guide
• International Student Accommodation Guide
• International Students Pre-Departure Guide:

You can use the resources below to understand your rights and responsibilities when renting in Ontario:

• Residential Tenancies Act
• Renting in Ontario: Your Rights
• Rental Viewing Checklist
• Landlord Q&A
• SLC Off-Campus Housing Rental Checklist
• Ontario Lease Standards
• Landlord Tennant Board
• CLEO Legal Rights

Home Safety 

• Landlords are required to provide effective locks for residences - contact your landlord if you have concerns about any security devices in your house.  It is a good idea to keep your doors and windows locked, even when you’re at home. 
• Leave an outside light on at night. 
• Check the peephole or window before opening the door. 
• Keep valuables out of sight – electronics, TVs, or other valuable articles are safer if not stored next to windows. 
• Keep your keys in your possession, don’t lend them out to anyone who doesn’t live in your home. 
• If you’re leaving for holiday break, or on vacation: 

1. Do not leave valuables on the property. 
2. Contact the appropriate agencies to hold your newspaper and mail 
3. Let your landlord know you will be away. Ask if they can keep an eye on the property. 

Fire Safety

• Ensure that your landlord keeps the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in working order. If the smoke detector is beeping, replace the battery or tell your landlord. 
• Candles should be extinguished if you are leaving the room. 
• Watch food carefully while cooking in the oven or on the stove.
• Extinguish a grease fire with baking soda or class B fire extinguisher. 
• Having a fire safety plan for your home or apartment is a good way to be prepared in case of emergency. 

Rental scams are real, so we caution our students to make informed decisions when they decide to rent.

Tips for avoiding scams: 

• Never give out personal financial information (bank account number, SIN, etc.). 
• Avoid paying with cash, or hard-to-trace equivalents such as Bitcoin because it is impossible to track. 
• Obtain a written lease: A written lease, that includes the name of the landlord, helps prevent fraud and outlines the rights and responsibilities of both parties. 
• Visit in person, have someone you trust see the rental property or request a real-time video walkthrough of the rental before signing a lease or making a payment. 
• It is a good idea to bring someone with you when you’re viewing properties.  

The Kingston Student Association of St. Lawrence College has partnered with Places4Students.com, as well as RAHousing.com a company these companies provide Off-Campus Housing solutions for post-secondary students.

Their services are FREE for all students to use as an effective method of finding a place to live off-campus.

Landlords can list properties for rent by creating an account on either site.

Both sites provide great service and each provide a different user experience. Find out for yourself at:

• www.RAHousing.com
• www.Places4Students.com

Canada HomeShare (Kingston Only):

Kingston HomeShare is an intergenerational housing program by the National Initiative for Care of the Elderly. In exchange for affordable rent (between $400-$600 per month) students contribute up to seven hours per week of assistance around the home. To find out more about the program, the application process and how Canada HomeShare may benefit you, please visit https://www.canadahomeshare.com/.

At this time, this option is only available in the Kingston community.

Note: This housing program is currently only available to students who have lived in Canada for at least one year.

The Brockville Student Administrative Council of St. Lawrence College has partnered with www.places4Students.com, a company that specializes in providing Off-Campus Housing solutions for post-secondary students.

This service is FREE for all students to use as an effective method of finding a place to live off-campus.

Landlords can list properties at very competitive rates (less than most other mediums of advertising).

• Students can visit Places4Students to view rental listings.
• Landlords can visit www.places4students.com/Landlord/Index.aspx to post listings online or call 1.866.766.0767 (toll-free) to speak with Customer Service Staff.

NEW! – we are now promoting a new online registry, www.ontariostudenthousing.com which contains a variety of available rental listings that are located in the St Lawrence Cornwall Campus area This is a free service for students to find off-campus housing. If you are a landlord with a proper rental unit, you can list it for a small fee with this site.

About Ontario Student Housing:

Ontario Student Housing.com is a Canadian owned and operated website.

Since January 2005 we have provided a free service to students to search our database of student housing. We also provide a service to landlords to list student housing. Our large territory of student housing throughout the province of Ontario provides users with a one-stop website for advertising and searching for student housing.

Our mandate is to provide the most comprehensive listing of student housing for all the major universities and colleges in the province of Ontario. We believe that this is an essential service that will be of great benefit to both landlords and students.

Our goal is to offer the fastest and easiest way to match students looking for student housing with landlords offering student housing for rent. Users can search for and find student housing meeting various criteria and email landlords instantly enabling a quick connection between student and landlord.

Our future plans include many upgrades and innovations that will make this site the site of choice for students and landlords requiring a website that meets their student housing needs.

Questions?
Contact the Student Union of St. Lawrence College Cornwall campus: 613.937.1518.