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.

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1 Bedroom in House, 3610 Emerald Street, New Waterford $545

3610 Emerald Street, Scotchtown

1 fully furnished bedroom, available immediately in a private home. Male tenants preferred. This house is located in the New…

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

1 Bedroom in House, Sydney $650

Sydney

1 Cozy, private bedroom for rent, on the second floor of a home. The bedroom is available to rent beginning…

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

1 Bedroom in House, Sydney $575

Sydney

A cozy, private bedroom rental on the second floor of the home. Tenant will share a kitchen and bathroom with…

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

1 Bedroom, 1027 Upper Prince Street, Sydney $600

1027 Upper Prince Street

1 Bedroom in three bedroom home.  1027 Upper Prince Street. All utilities ,WIFI, parking, laundry. Walking distance to bus route.…

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

1-Bedroom Apt, Main Street, Sydney Mines $1100

Main Street, Sydney Mines

This upgraded 1-bedroom apartment has been fully renovated in the last year with a new kitchen, bathroom, appliances, windows and…

1 bedrooms
  • Category: Apartment
  • Status: Available
  • Feature: Bus Route
  • Rent Period: Lease
  • Amenity: Water
View Listing

2 Bedroom Apt, 9 Douglas Street, Sydney $2200

9 Douglas Street, Sydney

Spacious apartment with one larger bedroom and one smaller bedroom. Apartment has a 4-piece bathroom, with a shared spacious kitchen…

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

2 Bedrooms in Duplex, 9 Oxford Street, Sydney Please Call

9 Oxford St., Sydney

2 fully furnished bedrooms with all utilities included, as well as laundry on site. The house is a 2-minute walk…

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

2 Bedrooms in House, 16 Harrington Street, Sydney $425

16 Harrington Street, Sydney

2 fully furnished, single bedrooms, available to rent immediately. All utilities are included in tenants rent. Tenants split the cost…

2 bedrooms
  • Category: Bedrooms
  • Status: Available
  • Type: House
  • Feature: Bus Route
  • Rent Period: Monthly
  • Amenity: Electricity
View Listing

2 Bedrooms in House, 73 Daley Road, New Victoria $550

73 Daley Road, New Victoria

2 single bedrooms, fully furnished and available to rent immediately. This house has 8 rooms in total, with 2 vacant…

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

2-Bedroom Apt, Barrington Street, Sydney Mines $1150

Barrington Street, Sydney Mines

This upgraded 2-bedroom apartment has been freshly painted with new floors and kitchen appliances installed. The bathroom has also been…

2 bedrooms
  • Category: Apartment
  • Status: Available
  • Feature: 2 Bedrooms
  • Rent Period: Lease
  • Amenity: Water
View Listing

2-Bedroom Street, King Street, New Waterford $1400

King Street, New Waterford

This 2-bedroom apartment features an open concept layout with a modern kitchen, plenty of natural light and an upgraded bathroom.…

2 bedrooms
1 bathrooms
  • Category: Apartment
  • Status: Available
  • Feature: Bus Route
  • Rent Period: Lease
  • Amenity: Water
View Listing

Studio Apartment, Oxford Avenue, Sydney Mines

A fully furnished studio apartment, perfect for any student wishing to have their own space. The unit has been refreshed…

  • Status: Available
  • Type: Apartment
  • Feature: Bus Route
  • Rent Period: Lease
  • Amenity: Water
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.

Related Contacts

Profile Picture
Kelsey Johnston
Residence Life Coordinator
Housing
Kelsey_Johnston@cbu.ca
902-563-1792