Off-Campus Living

Students walking near park

As the largest urban area on Cape Breton and the island’s historical capital, Sydney is the perfect mix of metropolitan charm and down home hospitality. As with many Nova Scotian communities on the ocean, the heart of Sydney is its waterfront. On a warm, summer evening it’s a great place to go for a walk, stop to watch a busker and to watch ships in the harbour. Along the way, be sure to get your photo taken beside the world’s largest fiddle, built in recognition of Cape Breton’s musical talent.

Secure housing plays a vital role in your student experience. It is very important that students do not travel to Canada before securing proper accommodations. Like most of Canada, affordable housing is a serious issue in Cape Breton. Housing in the area is limited and students should begin their search early.  We continue to advocate for affordable housing solutions, including pushing for Federal support of the proposed Tartan Downs Project, which would see various housing options built within the CBRM.

Students should budget $1000 per month for housing and associated costs.

Below, find a searchable database for students looking for off-campus accommodations as well FAQs about off-campus accommodations.

Filter by:

Categories

Types

Amenities

1 Bedroom -152 Mansfield St, Glace Bay $400

152 Mansfield St, Glace Bay

1 Furnished bedroom –  152 Mansfield St., Glace Bay All Utilities (electricity, heat, WIFI, hot water) are included Bus stop…

1 bedrooms
  • Category: Bedroom
  • Status: Available
  • Type: Bedroom
  • Feature: Bus Route
  • Amenity: Electricity
View Listing

Apartment 2 Bedroom - 28 Bayview St., Sydney $1690

28 Bayview St., Sydney Apt #3

Apt #3  –  28 Bayview Street, Sydney 2 bedroom unfurnished apartment with 1 bathroom. Water and Heat are included.  Electricity…

2 bedrooms
1 bathrooms
  • Category: Apartment
  • Status: Available April
  • Type: Apartment
  • Feature: Bus Route
  • Amenity: Heat
View Listing

2 Bedroom Apt - 9 Douglas St., Sydney $2200

9 Douglas Street, Sydney

2 Bedroom Apartment – 9 Douglas St., Sydney Great location ,9 Douglas Street is one of the best locations in…

2 bedrooms
  • Category: Apartment
  • Status: Available
  • Type: Apartment
  • Feature: Bus Route
  • Amenity: Electricity
View Listing

1 Bedroom - 209 Reserve St., Glace Bay $600

209 Reserve St., Glace Bay

1 Bedroom – 209 Reserve St., Glace Bay. Fully furnished bedroom with shared kitchen and bathroom. All utilities included. On…

1 bedrooms
  • Category: Bedroom
  • Status: Available April
  • Type: Bedroom
  • Feature: Bus Route
  • Amenity: Electricity
View Listing

3 Bedrooms - 291 Mitchell Ave., Dominion $950

2 Private bedrooms and 1 shared bedroom – 291 Mitchell Ave Newly renovated, fully furnished house (with 2 fridges). Utilities…

3 bedrooms
  • Category: Bedrooms
  • Status: Available
  • Type: Bedroom
  • Feature: Bus Route
  • Amenity: Electricity
View Listing

Duplex - 4 Private Bedrooms per unit - 145 Cottage St., Glace Bay $1095

145 Cottage St., Glace Bay

145 Cottage Street, Glace Bay.  8 Private Bedrooms with ensuites, 4 bedrooms with shared kitchen and living area per unit.…

8 bedrooms
8 bathrooms
  • Category: Bedrooms
  • Status: Available
  • Type: Bedroom
  • Feature: Bus Route
  • Amenity: Electricity
View Listing

4 Bachelor Apartments - 24 Mechanic St., Glace Bay $1595

24 Mechanic Street, Glace Bay

4 Bachelor units  –  24 Mechanic Street, Glace Bay This brand-new, fully furnished bachelor suite offers a self-contained living space…

4 bedrooms
4 bathrooms
  • Category: Apartments
  • Status: Available
  • Type: Bachelor Apartment
  • Feature: Bus Route
  • Amenity: Water
View Listing

3 Single Bedrooms, 201 South Bentinck Street, Sydney $625

201 Bentinck Street, Sydney

3 single bedrooms available to rent immediately. All utilities will be included in tenants rent. The nearest bus stop is…

3 bedrooms
  • Category: Bedrooms
  • Status: Available
  • Type: House
  • Feature: Bus Route
  • Amenity: Electricity
View Listing

1 Single Bedroom, 218 Park Street, Sydney $525

218 Park Street, Sydney

This fully furnished bedroom is available to rent immediately. Tenants share the kitchen and bathroom. All utilities will be included…

1 bedrooms
  • Category: Bedroom
  • Status: Available
  • Type: Bedroom
  • Feature: Bus Route
  • Rent Period: Monthly
  • Amenity: Electricity
View Listing

2 Private Rooms - 3636 Ellsworth Ave., New Waterford $650

3636 Ellsworth Ave., New Waterford

🏡 Student Housing – Private Rooms with Direct Bus to CBU! 🏡 Looking for a clean, fully furnished room in…

2 bedrooms
  • Category: Bedrooms
  • Status: Available April
  • Type: Bedroom
  • Feature: Bus Route
  • Amenity: Electricity
View Listing

2 Bedroom Apt - Balmor Drive, North Sydney $1650

Balmor Drive, North Sydney

Unfurnished 2-bedroom apartment – Balmor Drive, North Sydney Utilities include: Heating, hot water, wi-fi (must pay own electricity) Clean and…

2 bedrooms
  • Category: Apartment
  • Status: Available
  • Type: Apartment
  • Feature: Bus Route
  • Amenity: Heat
View Listing

4-Bedroom House, 361 Columbia Street, Sydney $2150

361 Columbia Street, Sydney

4-bedroom house available to rent to a family, available immediately. Landlord is renting the house as a whole, not by…

4 bedrooms
  • Category: House
  • Status: Available
  • Type: House
  • Feature: 4 Bedrooms
  • Rent Period: Monthly
View Listing

Off-Campus Accommodations FAQs

The Off-Campus Housing Coordinator works to connect students to landlords and vice-versa via the Off-Campus Accommodation Listing which is a free resource for the community. The coordinator ensures a smooth operation of this free resource that can be used by newcomers as well as property owners/managers in the community.

Students are most welcome to reach out to the coordinator but depending on the email traffic, you may or may not hear back in time and rental listings can get sold out quickly. Hence, students are encouraged to follow the contact instructions on the listing to secure it.

Students are encouraged to reach out to the listing’s point of contact directly and be mindful that the property owners/managers do not work for CBU and will answer on their own accord.

Rental/Property listings take place approximately 2 months prior to an intake. If you start searching too early or too late in relation to your intake, you may not find the right option for you. Starting your search early is definitely the key and we encourage future students to use this resource as early in their journey as possible.

 The prices displayed on listings can vary since some of them are room leases, some apartments and some are for houses. The pricing may seem high because it is for a whole house that can be leased.

Listings posted on third-party platforms and social media websites can be fake/scams and it is very important to be mindful of the same. The Off-Campus living page is maintained and updated by the Off-Campus housing coordinator and not through user-generated content.

Faculty & Staff

View All Faculty & Staff