Living in Vancouver

The City of Vancouver is located on the Canadian west coast at the south-west edge of the Province of British Columbia.

As Canada’s third largest city, Vancouver offers the perfect intersection between big city life and close proximity to the great outdoors. You will find that you are never a step too far from beautiful beaches, breathtaking hikes, or exciting weekend adventures when looking to take a break from the hustle and bustle of your MBA program journey.

Quick facts about the city

  • Population: 631,486 (according to the 2016 census)
  • Size: 114 square kilometres
  • Time Zone: Pacific / GMT -8

Source: City of Vancouver website (vancouver.ca)

For students who will be moving to Vancouver from across Canada or internationally, you will find Growing Roots: A Newcomer’s Guide to Vancouver (downloadable pdf) to be a valuable resource.

Musqueam Welcome by sʔəyəɬəq (Larry Grant)

UBC is located on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territories of the Musqueam people. We acknowledge this fact often because it is an important aspect of UBC’s history and present relations with Indigenous Peoples. Both UBC and Canada have a long and complicated history of colonialism and Indigenous relations.

In preparation for your arrival at UBC, we encourage you to learn more about UBC and Canada’s historical and present relationship with Indigenous peoples and communities, and to explore the many resources available online and on campus. During your Opening Week orientation there will be more opportunities to engage with this content: coming prepared with some pre-existing knowledge will help facilitate these discussions respectfully and profoundly.

Key words:
Traditional – recognizes lands used and/or occupied by indigenous peoples across generations for cultural, social and economic activities.
Ancestral – recognizes land that was passed down from generation to generation.
Unceded – recognizes land that was never turned over to the Crown by a treaty or other formal agreement.

What is a land acknowledgement and why do we do them? Find out more:

Recommended resources:
Learn more about the history of Indigenous Peoples in Canada and their connections to UBC and the city of Vancouver by visiting the resources below:

Additional reading:
For more in-depth information on current and historical Indigenous affairs:

Banking

Please see the main UBC webpage for information on banking.

Cell Phones & Communication

Please see the main UBC webpage for information for graduate students on Cell Phones & Communication.

Childcare and Education

In British Columbia, there is mandatory schooling for children ages 5 to 16. If your study permit is valid for at least one year and you are enrolled at UBC (excluding ESL programs), your minor children (18 years of age and younger) are eligible to attend elementary and secondary school without paying international student fees. However, you should begin the enrolment process for your children as early as possible after your arrival.
A proof of address is required to determine school catchment and to register children in school. If your child is not born in Canada and/or does not speak English as their home language, you must first register at the District Reception and Placement Center.
You will need the following to enroll your child in school:

  • Passport
  • Passport stamp or visit records indicating the day your child entered Canada
  • Copy of the parents’ study or work permit

The following should be translated into English if necessary:

  • Immunization documents
  • Birth Certificate
  • Copies of the last two years of school report cards/marks/evaluations

For further details on registering children in school, please refer to the Student Registration page in the appropriate School Board website:

Housing

We recommend that all students who need to secure off-campus housing arrive in Vancouver by the beginning of August at the latest. It is difficult to secure off-campus housing from a distance as the market is very competitive, and it's stressful to try to find somewhere to live once the program has begun.
If you are planning to live on-campus please apply for housing immediately as it is very competitive to get in.
If you arrive prior to the beginning of your off-campus or on-campus housing availability, you may require short-term accommodation.

On Campus

On campus housing is at a premium as there are typically 40,000 students returning to UBC every school year. Therefore, for the best chance of living on campus, UBC recommends that you apply for on-campus housing at the time of your application to your program or as quickly as possible thereafter.
NOTE: You may find when you apply for residence on campus that you are placed on a wait list. If you are placed on a wait list, check with UBC Housing as to the likelihood of obtaining housing for September. Wait lists can move very quickly as we near the beginning of term so do not panic if you are placed on one. You still may wish to investigate obtaining off-campus housing prior to August if you want to be settled before the start of the program.
Living on campus can be a practical and convenient housing option. As a graduate student your best option is to apply for year-round housing. Ensure that you apply immediately for the best chance of securing residence. If you apply for Winter Session only, you will compete with all undergraduate students who have priority for this group. Please see the main UBC webpage for on-campus accommodation for Graduate Students including year-round and family accommodation. This includes: Fraser Hall, Marine Drive, Ponderosa Commons, Iona House, Thunderbird.
September-April Housing (not available):
This type of housing is aimed at undergraduate students who typically study from September - April each year. As the contract length and the age of student living in this type of housing does not fit with the UBC MBA Program schedule and student body, the following September - April residences are not available for UBC MBA students: Totem Park, Place Vanier, Ritsumeikan-UBC House, Walter Gage.
On-Campus Non-UBC Options:
Wesbrook Properties are located at the South end of campus and offer a range of rentable apartments & townhouses suitable for single students, couples or families. These properties are not administered through UBC Housing and are a separate entity requiring application.

Off Campus

We recommend that all students who need to secure off-campus housing arrive in Vancouver by the beginning of August at the latest. It is difficult to secure off-campus housing from a distance since Vancouver generally has a low vacancy rate. When looking at rental properties, you may have to be prepared to make decisions on the spot to secure the unit. Students who have arrived late in August in past years have found it very stressful to try to find somewhere to live once the program has begun.
In Vancouver, advertisements for rental accommodation are most plentiful near the end and beginning of each month. This is due to the fact that tenants must give one month's notice and landlords advertise the vacancy for the first day of the following month. There will still be advertisements for accommodation at other times during the month, but they will not be as abundant.
Areas of Vancouver within a reasonable commute (one hour or less by car/transit) to UBC are: West Point Grey; Dunbar; Kitsilano; Arbutus Ridge; Kerrisdale; Fairview; Shaughnessy; South Cambie; Oakridge; and the West End and Downtown Vancouver.
Areas that will take longer to commute from (over one hour by car/transit) include: Burnaby, Coquitlam, North Vancouver, Port Moody, Surrey, Richmond, New Westminster.
Area to avoid: When looking for somewhere to stay you may wish to avoid the Downtown Eastside (East Hastings St area). This is an area of Vancouver that is not very safe and it is not recommended for students to live there.

House Hunting Resources:

  • This UBC Housing website has a list of online resources and valuable information to help you search for a place to live in Vancouver.
  • For details on your rights and responsibilities as a renter in Vancouver, or for further information on apartment rentals, visit the BC Residential Tenancy Office website. Changes to tenancy laws, including amendments that limit the use of vacate clauses in fixed-term tenancy agreements and that limit rent increases between agreements with the same tenant are now in effect. Learn more.

As you may know, Vancouver is a very competitive housing market. While typically our students are able to find appropriate accommodations on- or off-campus and have rarely come across scams, it is important to be aware that scams do exist. Students should be vigilant when working to secure housing for their time during the program.
Some warning signs of rental scams according to the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, include:

  • The monthly rent is much less than the current market rate
  • You're asked to leave a deposit without any formal rental agreement or lease in place
  • You're asked to send a security deposit to a landlord outside the country
  • You're offered a unit but no one does a background check on you
  • When you ask about the apartment, you get an email that sends you to a website asking for personal or financial information
  • Ads that show pictures of the outside of the property only, or pictures that don't match the actual property

Before you move in, inspect the apartment. In some provinces, you're required to do an inspection. This will ensure you're not held responsible for damage that may already exist. The inspection should be done with your landlord. Document and photograph any visible property damage. Use the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s Initial Inspection Worksheet Primer and Initial Inspection Worksheet.
Rental Listing Websites:
The UBC AMS (Alma Mater Society) provides a listing service of available off-campus housing for both students and landlords. You can utilize the web site to search for accommodation on criteria such as number of bedrooms, distance from the University and/or neighborhoods. Other online sites you may wish to try:

In-person Rental Listing Boards at UBC:

  • AMS Student Nest, 6138 Student Union Boulevard, UBC Campus
    This off-campus housing notice board is managed by the AMS (Alma Mater Society) and can be found at the entrance next to Honour Roll sushi. The notices are changed weekly. Listings include shared and self-contained apartments and houses.
  • Graduate Student Society, 6371 Crescent Road, UBC Campus
    The GSS maintains an off-campus listing service for graduate students on the main floor foyer.
  • International House, 1783 West Mall, UBC Campus
    This notice board is mainly for International students who are seeking accommodation with Canadian families in the Vancouver area.

Commercial Rental Services:
For a fee, these services will provide you with a list of vacancies that meet your criteria. These are often advertised in the rental listings section of newspapers. They can be helpful if you need to save time, but there is a charge for the service.

Short-term Accommodation

If you need a place to stay while doing your accommodation search, there are a large number of hotels, bed and breakfasts, and hostels available in Vancouver.
Short-term Off-Campus:
Options for staying off-campus include:

In any case, you should check what area of Vancouver they are located in for ease of travel.
Short-term On-Campus:
On-campus short-term accommodation is difficult to find if you are not scheduled to move into one of the on-campus residences at the beginning of the school year. There are only a few options available:

(These sites/groups are provided as a resource to students. RHL does not endorse these sites or their rental listings.)
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Medical & Health Care

There are two levels of health insurance in Canada: basic (Medical Services Plan of BC - MSP) and extended. Both types are required for all UBC students. Your basic MSP insurance plan covers costs such as doctor's visits and diagnostic services. Extended health care usually covers a portion of prescription medicine, dental care, vision care, and travel insurance. You will need different information depending on what kind of student you are, so please read the relevant category below.

International Students

Please review the UBC Health Insurance Information for International Students.
UBC requires that all international students have basic (MSP) and extended health care for the duration of their studies.

  • As soon as you arrive in Canada please apply for MSP for yourself, and your family if they are accompanying you. The plan covers the cost of basic medical care, including most general physician and hospital services. There is a 3 month waiting period before MSP coverage will begin, so do apply as soon as you arrive. Please note MSP Premiums are not included in your tuition and fees. Through the Regular Premium Assistance Program, effective Jan. 1, 2018, families with an annual adjusted net income of $26,000 or less will pay no MSP premiums at all (a $2,000 increase from the current $24,000). Please read the MSP Quick Facts for more information.
    • If your family members are with you in Canada, it is very important that they also have insurance for the entire duration of their stay in Canada. The costs of hospital and doctor care in Canada are very high if you are not insured. Without insurance, you could pay thousands of dollars per day for a hospital stay or even be refused certain services.
  • You will be automatically enrolled in UBC's iMed Plan, which is basic health insurance to cover you during the 3-month waiting period for MSP to begin.
  • iMed will ensure that you have adequate medical coverage from the time you leave home (up to 10 days prior to your arrival in Canada), with the earliest arrival date in Canada being August 1, 2019. Therefore, if you are planning to arrive to British Columbia prior to August 1, 2019 and you do not have any sort of travel or health insurance during that time, you will need to change your iMed coverage dates. You can do this by purchasing “Advanced Coverage” from David Cummings Insurance Services, using the Advance Coverage Application Form. This should be purchased before you arrive in Canada. If you apply after you arrive in Canada, you may not be covered until the date of your purchase. For more information, please contact David Cummings Insurance Services.
  • If you are not eligible for iMed, it is your responsibility to obtain temporary basic health insurance to cover you during the 3-month waiting period for MSP. Global Campus Health Plan provides a coverage alternative to iMed.
  • UBC offers extended health care via AMS/GSS Extended Health & Dental Plan, and will automatically enroll you in this plan.
Out-of-Province Students

Canadian students from other provinces or territories can remain under their home province or territory health plan as long as they remain students. If you wish to do this you should contact your home-province healthcare provider for the details. If opting to join MSP, students from other parts of Canada should arrange medical coverage during the waiting period since new out-of-province graduate students are not eligible to receive British Columbia Medical Services Plan (MSP) until they have resided in BC for 3 months.
Arranging coverage:

  • iMED is a bridging coverage offered to international students that is also available for new out-of-province students; please contact info@david-cummings.com directly.
  • In some cases, students from other provinces might be able to retain their provincial healthcare plan for the 3 month waiting period. Please contact the healthcare provider in your province for further details.
  • Private healthcare insurance providers like Pacific Blue Cross also offer 3 month packages.
All Students - AMS/GSS Extended Health & Dental Plan

All graduate students, international and domestic, are automatically enrolled in the AMS/GSS Extended Health & Dental Plan and will be assessed the annual premium as part of their student fees.
To verify that you are enrolled, check your fees on the Student Service Centre (SSC) and look for the "Med/dent fee". For additional information on this plan visit the AMS/GSS Health & Dental Plan web site or the studentcare.ca website.
The Health & Dental Plan is a grassroots initiative, driven by students who expressed a need for low cost extended health coverage. The plan provides for many important services not covered by your basic health plan, such as prescription drugs, dental care, travel health insurance, counseling and more.You can also enroll your spouse or dependent children for an additional fee.
You must have basic medical insurance (MSP or equivalent) in order to make a claim to the AMS/GSS Health & Dental Plan.
The plan is administered by studentcare.ca. They offer a full service centre on campus in the AMS Student Nest building:
Health & Dental Plan Office
The Nest at UBC
6133 University Blvd. Room 3128
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1
If you need information about the Plan, like claims forms or details, check out studentcare.ca.
NOTE: All graduate students at UBC are automatically members of the AMS/GSS Extended Health & Dental Plan and have been assessed the annual premium as part of their fees.

Opting Out of the AMS/GSS Health & Dental Plan

Students with equivalent health and dental coverage through a private plan (parent, spouse or employee plan) can opt out of the AMS/GSS Health & Dental Plan.
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Transportation

All UBC students are charged for the U-Pass Compass Card transit pass which is contained within the student-levied fees, regardless of whether they choose to use the transit system or not, so you may wish to take advantage of this and travel to campus via transit.
There are many flexible and sustainable options for travelling to, from, or around UBC’s Vancouver campus. Getting to and from campus is easy with public transit, cycling, car-sharing, and parking options available. Find out more about transportation options to UBC here.

Once you're on campus, UBC TREK is responsible for all transportation planning at UBC. UBC Trek also has initiatives to assist students with inexpensive, more environmentally benign, and better ways to get to UBC, include carpools, vanpools, public transit, and bike/walking paths.

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