Rental housing

UBC offers rental housing to faculty and staff on the Vancouver campus at below-market rents. This portfolio of over 1200 apartments and townhomes is managed by UBC affiliate Village Gate Homes. All suites are unfurnished and a minimum of a one-year lease is required.  For details, photos, floor plans, and to apply for a rental suite, please go to the Village Gate Homes website.

Suites are allocated on a priority basis. Apartment suites are offered to tenure-track faculty first, followed by tenured faculty and then to staff and other eligible faculty, including postdoctoral fellows and research associates. Within each of these groups, priority is assessed by the date of registration with Village Gate Homes. There is a separate allocation process for townhomes in which tenured faculty are prioritized.  

UBC Vancouver faculty and staff are eligible to apply by registering with Village Gate Homes. Please register only once you have a job offer for an eligible position. Be sure to provide complete information or else you may not be added to the waitlist. Village Gate Homes will confirm your eligibility once you are offered a suite. 

Note:  Tenants are not permitted to reside in Village Gate Homes and have an active UBC Down Payment Assistance (DPA) loan and/or a Prescribed Interest Rate Loan (PIRL) loan.

Questions about availability, rents, suites and tenancy can be directed to Village Gate Homes at info@villagegatehomes.com. 

Questions about eligibility and allocation guidelines can be directed to UBC Housing, Immigration and Relocation Services at employeehousing.help@ubc.ca.

UBC offers a limited number of UBC Faculty Staff Rental Housing suites to eligible employees at rental rates equal to 30% of their gross household income before taxes and adjustments. Employment, income and assets criteria apply.  To view program details and apply please go to UBC RGI Pilot Program.

A number of property management companies offer long-term unfurnished, market rentals for faculty, staff, students and the general public on campus. Visit their websites for more information, including photographs, virtual tours, unit plans, prices, and current vacancies.

• Wesbrook Properties
• Chancellor Court by Austeville
• Coast and Westpoint by Bastion Development
• Axis by Concert Properties
• leləm̓ Living

If you need short-term housing, there are a number of options available on campus that are within close proximity to all UBC facilities and amenities, including affordable food outlets, student pubs, pool and gym.

• UBC Conferences and Accommodations
• TRIUMF House
• St. John’s College
• Green College
• Carey Accommodation

Neighbourhood services and amenities, living costs and commute times are important factors when looking for housing. Our neighbourhood profiles include information on housing types and costs, commute time to UBC, walkability, amenities, demographics and schools to give you a feel for each neighbourhood.

Arbutus (PDF) |  Downtown (PDF) |  Dunbar-Southlands (PDF) |  Fairview (PDF) | Grandview-Woodland (PDF) |  Hastings-Sunrise (PDF)  |  Kensington-Cedar Cottage (PDF)  |  Kerrisdale (PDF)  | Killarney (PDF) |  Kitsilano (PDF) |  Marpole (PDF)  |  Mount Pleasant (PDF) |  Oakridge (PDF)  |  Renfrew-Collingwood (PDF)  |  Riley Park (PDF)  |  Shaughnessy (PDF)  |  South Cambie (PDF) |  Strathcona and Downtown Eastside (PDF) |  Sunset (PDF) |  Victoria-Fraserview (PDF)  |  West End (PDF)  |  West Point Grey (PDF)

Housing can move quickly so contact landlords immediately if you come across a listing you like. As tenants generally only give one month’s notice to end a tenancy, vacancies will only start showing 25 to 45 days prior to availability. Always exercise caution with any online listing platform.

• liv.rent 
• Sabbatical Homes
• Rentseeker
• Rent Faster
• Make Yourself at Home  
• Craigslist
• Kijiji
• Padmapper
• AirBnb
• VRBO
• Zumper
• Zillow
• Rentals.ca
• Hollyburn Properties
• Austeville Properties
• Bastion Development
• Facebook Marketplace

Please note that UBC isn't affiliated with any of the agencies listed above. They're listed for information purposes only.

Documents:

Landlords may request the following information from prospective tenants: 

• Name and contact information;
• Photo ID to verify the name on the application;
• Current address and past rental history;
• References from previous landlords or employers;
• Proof of income and employment.

Tenancy Agreement:

A tenancy agreement, which is a written contract outlining the rules of the tenancy, must be signed by both the landlord and the tenant. Tenancy agreements can either be:

• Month-to-month: The tenancy renews each month and does not have an end date.
• Fixed-term: The tenancy is usually for a year and has an end date. The tenant and landlord can decide to renew it for another year when it ends or let it go month-to-month.

Deposits:

A security deposit, also known as a damage deposit, is a sum of money paid by the tenant to the landlord at the start of the lease, which is held until the tenancy ends. The deposit cannot exceed half of the first month’s rent. After the tenant has paid the deposit, the tenancy is considered to be established and the landlord is not allowed to rent the unit to another person.

If the tenant is permitted to have pets, the landlord may require a pet damage deposit in addition to the standard security deposit. The deposit cannot exceed half of the first month’s rent, regardless of the number of pets allowed. The tenant must pay the pet damage deposit at the beginning of the tenancy or when they acquire a pet during the tenancy.

Move-in Condition Inspection:

A move-in condition inspection, also known as a walk through, involves the landlord and tenant inspecting the unit together to note any damages or issues. During the walk through, a condition inspection report should be completed. This inspection is essential for determining responsibility for any damages and deciding if the landlord is entitled to retain part or all of the security and pet deposits when the tenant moves out. The walk through should take place on the day the tenant receives the keys, though both parties can agree to schedule it at another time.

To learn more about your rights and landlords’ responsibilities during a tenancy and when ending a tenancy, please visit https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/residential-tenancies.

Residential Tenancy Branch: Information, education and dispute resolution services for residential tenancies in British Columbia.

Tenant Resource and Advisory Centre (TRAC): Online guide to better understanding tenant-landlord law in British Columbia and free legal representation to eligible tenants.

BC Housing: Resource for a range of affordable and subsidized housing options across British Columbia.

YWCA Housing: Provides safe and affordable homes for single women and their dependent children across Metro Vancouver.

City of Vancouver: Resources for renters in finding safe and suitable housing in the city.

Catalyst Community Developments: BC-based not-for-profit real estate developer that owns and operates a number of affordable rental housing in the region.

Brightside Community Homes Foundation: Offers affordable rental housing for seniors, families and people with disabilities.

Metro Vancouver Housing: Offers affordable housing for households with low to moderate incomes.