3.4 Living off-campus

Living off-campus

If you do plan to live off-campus, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with BC’s Residential Tenancy Act Links to an external site., detailing all the rights and obligations of both landlords and tenants. It’s also advised to obtain renter’s insurance to protect your belongings.

Kelowna has many neighbourhoods that each offer distinct advantages to students. If you don’t have a car,  investigate neighbourhoods close to campus or on the transit routes. UBC Okanagan is served by BC Transit Links to an external site.. As employees, postdoctoral fellows are eligible for the ProPASS program.

The Academy Hill area in North Glenmore is located within walking distance to the UBC Okanagan campus and many services and amenities.

Other popular neighbourhoods that are close to campus and serviced by local transit are Glenmore, Ellison, and Rutland North.

Develop a set of criteria to help you evaluate potential rental units and accurately compare costs. There are also several resources available on the WelcomeBC website: Find a place to live Links to an external site..

Download International Programs and Services Off-Campus Housing Information



Online rental listings
There are several online services that list apartments, suites and houses for rent:

Long term rentals (1 year +)

Short term rentals (1-6+ months)

*The College of Graduate Studies does not endorse any specific sites and is not liable for any difficulties that may arise. External links are included for the purpose of reference only.

Learn more about securing off-campus housing in Kelowna.

Housing Rental Scams 
Ensure a proper tenancy agreement is drafted and signed by both parties. This agreement should include names and addresses for the landlord. Ask the landlord to show picture identification as proof they are the person named in the document. While it is not a requirement that they produce identification, the renter should be suspicious if they refuse.

As a renter, you might consider asking to see previous utility bills for the residence to confirm the identity of the landlord.

Choose a currency method other than cash for payment of rent or deposits. Consider payment by personal cheque, money order, bank draft, or certified cheque.

Source: RCMP Links to an external site.

RCMP offer the following tips to protect you from fraud:

  1. Physically go to the property and book a viewing, when searching for rentals
  2. Conduct your own open-source queries to ensure the advertisement isn’t a duplicate
  3. Do not transfer funds to unknown individuals