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.
Fully furnished 2-bedroom apartment, in a Triplex, with a walk-out basement. Landlords are seeking female tenants to occupy this unit.…
1 large bedroom in a house, available to rent immediately. All utilities will be included in tenants rent, however there…
Beautiful 3-bedroom, 2-storey fully furnished home available for rent in a peaceful rural setting in Balls Creek. Ideal for professionals,…
1 bed available in a shared bedroom, within a 2-bedroom apartment. There is also another tenant who lives in the…
Fully furnished, 1-bedroom studio apartment, with private entrance, kitchen, and washroom, available to rent immediately. Shared access to a large…
This is a 3-Bedroom, 2-Bathroom Semi-Detached Home. The main level offers a large living room, eat-in kitchen, and full bathroom,…
This 2-bedroom apartment features an open concept layout with a modern kitchen, plenty of natural light and an upgraded bathroom.…
2 fully furnished bedrooms available to rent in the landlords basement. Landlords are seeking 1-2 female tenant to occupy these…
4 Bedrooms in House: All bedrooms are single and available now in a large house. The house is located in…
1 single bedroom, fully furnished and available to rent beginning February, 2026. All utilities will be included in tenants rent,…
2 fully furnished apartments, available to rent to small families or students. Tenants will be responsible to pay the electric…
1 single, fully furnished bedroom, available to rent beginning February 2026. All utilities will be included in tenants rent, which…
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.
