So, as Lillienne stated, the housing lottery is currently up on the UBC Housing site. As soon as I found this out I got a small hurt in the pit of my stomach, I find this whole process a bit terrifying. I have never been all that good with lotteries. Sure, to get a spot on-campus would be wicked sweet, but with the possibility of getting denied daunting before me, I decided to explore my options. Namely, off-campus housing for next year. I think this a smart choice for anyone in this situation, because even though a good number of returning students WILL get a spot, there is always that little chance that you won’t.
So, with that worry in my mind I set out online to search for any apartment complexes that suit my fancy, or even houses and rooms for rent. Honestly I wasn’t being picky. I visited several sites, many recommended by UBC Housing, and found one thing: the online resources for housing in Vancouver are horrible.
I know for a fact that there are a lot of places for rent out there right now. This is obvious due to the countless FOR RENT signs I see just riding the 99 B-Line to Granville. Vancouver is a big, blossoming, city, it’s growing at an extremely rapid rate, and will continue to do so from here on out, what with the Olympics coming. If so many places are being built, then why are there so few resources just for finding one to rent?
In the States you can find countless online mega search engines for finding a place to live. There are nation-wide ones as well as city sites. They are helpful, easy to navigate, and will get you at least some kind of answer. The Vancouver sites I visited we out-of-date (boasting NEW COMPLEXES COMING IN 2005!), some would just tell me “no” when I entered my fairly easy request, and many just lead me to the same 3 listings. By the end off my search I had scratched every site of my list, more confused and worried than ever.
Don’t get me wrong, there were listings, though the largest number I received was about 10. Maybe I was just being too picky about my pricing or areas. I just find it rather hard to believe that this is all there is.
I am not giving up on my off-campus housing search, no, I plan to pick up a newspaper tomorrow, and even visit different complexes in person if I have to. I just wish there was a site that made the Vancouver listings more accessible, and I am highly surprised that there is not one already.
2 replies on “Off-Campus Headache”
Have you tried craigslist (vancouver.craigslist.org)? It’s got a ton of listings. You’ll come to find that the largest availabilities of housing come January 1st, May 1st and September 1st, at least in the neighborhoods closest to UBC (point grey, kits, dunbar, kerrisdale). The one thing is that in order to find things are in your price range, you may have to consider things you might not want, as Vancouver is a very expensive place to live. A room in a house in East Van, for example is way cheaper than a room in a suite or a bachelor in Kits. But keep looking and you should be able to find something!
No need to fret my American friend! You are guaranteed housing your first two years as an American student (well international I suppose) so you shouldn’t have to worry about that next year.
As an American who did not get into housing this year, I found the quest for a house quite difficult. I lived up here this summer and spent from mid July to Late August trying to find a place. The best resource is http://www.amsrentsline.com or so I found. It is brutally expensive to live in Vancouver near campus. I am paying $1300 a month for a two bedroom in Dunbar and I consider that fairly cheap.
However just to give you an idea of how brutal everythign is: I found you have to be the first one to see the house. You and whom ever you are rooming with have to be there at the seeing. You need to bring your checkbook with you so that you can sign a lease right there (and make sure it is a Canadian Checkbook- American ones take to long to clear) and most places won’t let you sublet for the summer so you have to make sure you actually want to stay there.
Also on craigslist they have bidding wars. The same apartment that was listed the day before for 1000 a month is now listed at 1200 because so many people replied. The best advise is to find short roommates and live in a basement suite.