Transportation and Living Arrangements

Short-Term Options

If you are unsure of your options or are wanting to take your time finding the perfect place to live, here are a few short term options while you look for permanent accommodation:

• Airbnb
• Inn at the Quay
• Executive Hotel & Resort (Coquitlam) 

Homestay

Many international students choose to live in a homestay environment for their first few months of living in Canada. The homestay organization will source accommodation based on your interests and individual requirements. The homestay families are carefully screened and selected to ensure the best possible experience.

• Liane's Vancouver Homestay
• Canada Homestay Network 
• First Choice International
• 4Stay.com
• FCI
• Vanmates

Shared Accommodations

Are you interested in living with someone else, or would you prefer to live alone?  Living with a roommate, or renting a room within a family home, saves money plus it could make the cultural transition easier. 

• Global Education City
• Casa Student Housing
• Off-Campus Housing 101
• Search for Student Housing 

Longer-Term Rentals

There are many different types of living arrangements available, including studios, one or two-bedroom apartments, basement suites, a single room in a house, shared houses, etc. These are a few local webpages available that you can source to find accommodations:

• Apartment Love
• Rentseeker.ca
• Gottarent.com
• Facebook Marketplace
• liv.rent

Disclaimer: These sites/groups are provided as a resource courtesy to students. JIBC does not endorse these sites or their listing and does not take responsibility for off-campus rental accommodations.

Considerations

Be sure to take into account important details when deciding on the location of your lodging, such as travel time to school, proximity to shopping, public transit and other amenities, and the dates that you expect to move in and move out.

It is important to be aware of the types of crime to be aware of and obtain knowledge to assist in keeping safe. Tips and helpful information on how students can stay safe while studying in Canada is available from the Vancouver Police Department.

Know Your Rights

Be cautious when searching and remember to view the inside of a property before you sign a lease or pay any money. There are several other rights and responsibilities that you have as a tenant (renter). The following resources will provide you with more information on renting in Canada.

• Canada Mortgage & Housing Rental Guide
• Tenant Resource and Advisory Centre
• Residential Tenancy Office

Costs

Rents vary greatly depending on apartment location, age and condition. For example, it is generally more expensive to rent in a condominium building than an apartment building, and locations close to Vancouver city are typically more expensive than elsewhere in the Lower Mainland. Keep in mind, these are only general guidelines for cost.
 

Additional costs might include:

• Utilities (e.g., heat, water, electricity)
• Internet, Cable TV
• Security deposit (one-time cost)
• Pet deposit (one-time cost)
• Apartment furnishings
• Laundry, parking, food and entertainment
• Tenant insurance 
• Transit pass or Vehicle transportation, such as parking, car insurance and gas

Public Transportation

Vancouver's regional public transit agency, TransLink, provides extensive transportation services in Metro Vancouver, including Bus (road passage), SeaBus (passenger ferry), SkyTrain (automated rapid transit system), and West Coast Express (commuter rail) services. Detailed information regarding schedules, maps, and fares can be found on the Translink website.

Getting around the Vancouver area is easy with our efficient public transportation system. Since most international students will not have access to a personal mode of transportation (such as a car), it is comforting to know that there are reliable transit systems at your fingertips.

Airport Transportation

If you plan to land at the Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, you have the option of taking a taxi, using a ride-share service or using TransLink public transportation to get to your next destination in the Metro Vancouver area. Rates vary, depending on your destination and your mode of transportation. If you will be living in the city of New Westminster it is recommended that you take a taxi or use a ride-share service from the airport to your new home. 

Be sure to have available an easily-accessible copy of the street address and city name that shows where you are headed to next.

Estimated costs of travelling from the Vancouver International Airport to New Westminster: 
 

** An additional $5 AddFare applies for single-use fares purchased at the Vancouver International Airport (YVR) station.

There are a number of resources available that address food insecurity in our community, in an accessible and respectful manner. We are pleased to provide some suggestions to help locate food banks around the Lower Mainland which may be relevant to international students:

• Greater Vancouver Food Bank
• Vancouver Coastal Health: Vancouver COVID Emergency Meals Map
• Vancouver Coastal Health: Food Asset Maps Vancouver, Richmond, North Shore 
• Free and low-cost food directory (Fraser Health Communities)