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, 209 Reserve Street, Glace Bay $650

209 Reserve Street, Glace Bay

1 fully furnished bedroom, available to rent in a house to 1 tenant. Bedroom has a desk, chair, wardrobe, and…

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

3-Bedroom House, 376 Townsend Street, Sydney $1800

376 Townsend Street, Sydney

A partially furnished, 3-bedroom, 2 bathroom house, available to rent to female tenants beginning March 20th. There is a heat…

3 bedrooms
2 bathrooms
  • Category: House
  • Status: Available March 2026
  • Feature: Bus Route
View Listing

Bachelor Apt, Kendall Street, Sydney $725

Kendall Street, Sydney, Nova Scotia

Partially furnished bachelor apartment, available to rent immediately. Tenant will have their bedroom, living room and kitchen combined in one…

1 bedrooms
1 bathrooms
  • Category: Apartment
  • Status: Available
  • Type: Bachelor Apartment
  • Feature: Bus Route
View Listing

3-Bedroom House, 397 Thirteenth Street, New Waterford $2200

397 Thirteenth Street, New Waterford

Fully furnished 3-bedroom house, available to rent immediately. Tenants will have utilities and parking included in their rent. The house…

3 bedrooms
  • Category: House
  • Status: Available
  • Feature: 3 Bedrooms
  • Rent Period: Lease
  • Amenity: Electricity
View Listing

Multiple Availabilities, Sydney Please Call

Sydney

Please see the link below for multiple available listings: http://bretoncityresidences.ca https://www.bretoncityresidences.ca/viewlistings   Email: connect@bretoncityresidences.ca

  • Category: Apartments
  • Status: Available
View Listing

6 Bedrooms in House, Sydney Please Call

Sydney

6 Bedrooms in House: All bedrooms are single and available now in a large house. The house is located in…

6 bedrooms
  • Category: Bedrooms
  • Status: Available
View Listing

1 Bedroom in House, 236 Brookside Street, Glace Bay $490

236 Brookside Street, Glace Bay

1 bedroom in house, available to rent immediately to 1 tenant. Tenant will have all utilities included in their rent,…

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

3-Bedrooom House, Townsend Street, Sydney

Well-maintained 3-bedroom, 1-bathroom home, offering a practical two-level layout and a comfortable, welcoming space to call home- ideal for professionals,…

  • Category: House
  • Status: Available
  • Feature: 3 Bedrooms
  • Rent Period: Lease
  • Amenity: Electricity
View Listing

4-Bedroom Apt: 4 Room Rentals, 33 Inverness Street, Sydney $900

33 Inverness Street, Sydney

4 bedrooms available to rent immediately, in a 4-bedroom apartment. This is a clean, completely renovated, ground level apartment. Tenants…

4 bedrooms
  • Category: Bedrooms
  • Status: Available
  • Type: Apartment
  • Feature: 4 Bedrooms
  • Rent Period: Lease
  • Amenity: Electricity
View Listing

2-Bedroom Apt, 48 Maple Ridge Drive, Sydney $1900

48 Maple Ridge Drive, Sydney

Fully furnished 2-bedroom apartment, in a Triplex, with a walk-out basement. Landlords are seeking female tenants to occupy this unit.…

2 bedrooms
1 bathrooms
  • Category: Apartment
  • Status: Available
  • Feature: 2 Bedrooms
  • Amenity: Electricity
View Listing

3-Bedroom House, 233 Campbell Road, Balls Creek $2200

233 Campbell Road, Balls Creek

Beautiful 3-bedroom, 2-storey fully furnished home available for rent in a peaceful rural setting in Balls Creek. Ideal for professionals,…

3 bedrooms
  • Category: House
  • Status: Available
  • Feature: 3 Bedrooms
  • Rent Period: Lease
View Listing

1 Bed in Shared Bedroom, 13 Royal Avenue, Dominion $600

13 Royal Avenue, Dominion

1 bed available in a shared bedroom, within a 2-bedroom apartment. There is also another tenant who lives in the…

1 bedrooms
  • Category: Bed
  • Status: Available
  • Type: Apartment
  • 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.

Related Contacts

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