Shared flat or student housing in Ottawa: how to choose

Residence, shared flat or studio: the housing options in Ottawa, the prices to plan for, the neighbourhoods near the campuses and the rental rules in Ontario.

The Remoters editorial team

Published on

10 December 2023

Updated on

6 October 2026

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As a student in Ottawa, you have three ways to find housing: a room in a university residence, a room in a shared house or apartment on the private market, or a place of your own. A shared flat is the cheapest solution off campus: according to Carleton University's price guide, a room in a house rents for between CA$560 and CA$1,350 per month depending on whether it is furnished, while a studio costs CA$1,375 to CA$1,625, utilities extra.

A bilingual city, Ottawa is home to two major universities, the University of Ottawa and Carleton University, and demand is concentrated in the few neighbourhoods close to the campuses. The University of Ottawa's housing service advises starting your search as early as possible: don't wait until July to find housing for September.

This guide compares the three options, presents the neighbourhoods to aim for depending on your campus and recalls Ontario's rental rules, which protect tenants well provided you know them.

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Residence, shared flat or living alone: the three options

University residence

This is the simplest option for a first year, especially if you are coming from abroad. The two universities have their own rules:

University of Ottawa: for the September 2026 intake, applications from newly admitted students opened on 9 December 2025. Housing is guaranteed to newly admitted Canadian students who apply before 1 June, and to admitted international students who request housing, accept their offer of admission and pay the admission deposit within the stated deadline. Booking requires a CA$950 deposit, fully refundable (minus CA$105 in fees) until 15 June.
Carleton University: the fees cover the academic year from September to April and include the room, utilities, internet, the meal plan and tenant insurance. For 2026-2027, a double room with the basic meal plan costs CA$14,010 for the year, a single room CA$15,830. A first payment of CA$700 is required at booking.

Without a housing guarantee, offers are made throughout the summer, in order of application and depending on remaining places: have a fallback solution.

Off-campus shared flats

Sharing a house or an apartment is the most common arrangement after the first year. The price guide published by Carleton gives the following ranges:

unfurnished room in a house: CA$560 to CA$1,200 per month;
furnished room in a house: CA$600 to CA$1,350 per month;
room in shared accommodation: CA$800 to CA$1,000 per month, utilities extra;
entire three-bedroom house: CA$2,500 to CA$3,500 per month, utilities extra.

Rooms are often rented for four, eight or twelve months, which fits the university calendar. Before signing, ask what the rent covers: heating, water, water heater rental, gas and electricity (supplied by Hydro Ottawa) may be billed separately. Add internet, laundry and, if applicable, parking. Carleton has partnered with the Places4Students site for housing and shared-flat listings.

A studio or an apartment on your own

A studio rents from about CA$1,500 per month and a one-bedroom apartment for around CA$2,000. According to the monthly report from Rentals.ca and Urbanation, the average asking rent in Ottawa in April 2026 was CA$1,945 for one bedroom and CA$2,472 for two bedrooms, down 3.2% and 4.0% year on year. The trend is therefore rather favourable to tenants, but the budget remains high for a student on their own.

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The neighbourhoods to aim for depending on your campus

Near the University of Ottawa

Sandy Hill: the neighbourhood closest to the campus, where many students live. You can walk, and OC Transpo buses run often.
Centretown: west of the campus, close to O-Train Line 1 and many bus routes. Allow 10 to 20 minutes by bus or bike. Rents there are among the highest in the city.
Lowertown and the ByWard Market: just north of the campus, lively and well served, but some streets are noisy.
Old Ottawa East and Old Ottawa South: to the south, more residential and quiet, 10 to 25 minutes by bus or bike.

Near Carleton University

Carleton University is located on Colonel By Drive. The Glebe, a sought-after residential neighbourhood along the canal, and Old Ottawa South are the logical areas, with above-average rents in the former. For a tighter budget, Vanier, a French-speaking neighbourhood being revitalised, and Overbrook are among the most affordable areas of the city, provided you check the real commute to your campus.

Living on the Gatineau side

Across the Ottawa River, in Quebec, Gatineau offers much lower rents: the University of Ottawa's housing service recorded an average rent of about CA$1,100 for a one-bedroom apartment in May 2026. The University of Ottawa's U-Pass is valid on the STO network. The Hull area is the most popular with students who settle there, 15 to 30 minutes from the campus by bus. Note: housing in Gatineau falls under Quebec law, not the Ontario rules described below.

The application and the rules to know in Ontario

The documents requested

valid ID (passport);
your admission letter or enrolment certificate;
proof of resources: bank statements, a scholarship or a guarantee letter from a relative;
references from previous landlords if you have any, and sometimes a credit report (Equifax or TransUnion), which you won't have when arriving from abroad: a guarantor or several months of statements can make up for it.

What Ontario law says

The standard lease is mandatory for most new private leases. If the landlord doesn't give it to you, ask for it in writing: they have 21 days to provide it, failing which you can withhold one month's rent.
The deposit is limited to the last month's rent. No damage deposit is allowed.
Rent increases are regulated: at most once every 12 months, with 90 days' written notice. The cap is 2.1% for 2026 and 1.9% for 2027. It does not apply to homes occupied for the first time after 15 November 2018, nor to rent freely set when a new tenant arrives: check the construction date before signing.
In case of a dispute, the Landlord and Tenant Board has jurisdiction.

Beware of scams

Carleton University warns against fake listings that target students, and points out that it neither offers nor inspects any off-campus housing. Be wary of a rent far below the market, a landlord abroad who asks for a transfer before handing over the keys, a deposit demanded on the spot without a written contract, photos that only show the outside. Ask for a written agreement before paying an application deposit, check whether it is refundable and insist on a receipt for any cash payment.

Searching remotely

From France, viewing a room in Sandy Hill or a shared house near Carleton isn't simple, and the best offers go while you compare photos. A Remoters home finder based in Ottawa can search for you based on your campus and budget, view the homes, prepare your application and go over the lease before signing. The first conversation and the quote are free.