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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Amenities

3-Bedroom House, 20 Kent Street, Glace Bay $2500

20 Kent Street, Glace Bay

Lovely 3-bedroom home, available to rent immediately. This home is situated in downtown Glace Bay, on a quiet side street…

3 bedrooms
  • Status: Available
  • Type: House
  • Feature: Bus Route
  • Rent Period: Lease
  • Amenity: Heat
View Listing

1 Bedroom in House, Sydney $610

Sydney

1 Cozy, private bedroom for rent, on the upper level of the home. The bedroom is available to rent beginning …

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

2-Bedroom Apt, 790 King Street, New Waterford $1400

790 King Street, New Waterford

Freshly updated 2-bedroom apartment available in New Waterford, beginning October 1st. This clean, move-in-ready unit features modern flooring, an updated…

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

1-Bedroom Apt, 36 Valleyview Drive, Coxheath $1600

36 Valleyview Drive, Coxheath

1-Bedroom Fully Furnished Apartment. This is a 1-bedroom, 1 bathroom, fully furnished apartment. Tenant will have all linens, bedding, kitchen…

1 bedrooms
  • Category: Apartment
  • Status: Available
  • Feature: Fully Furnished
  • Rent Period: Monthly
  • Amenity: Electricity
View Listing

1 Bedroom in House, 3636 Ellsworth Avenue, New Waterford $750

3636 Ellsworth Avenue, New Waterford

🏡 Student Housing – Direct Bus to CBU! 🏡 Looking for a clean, fully furnished room in a quiet student-friendly home? Cape Breton…

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

1 Bedroom in House, 3636 Ellsworth Avenue, New Waterford $700

3636 Ellsworth Avenue, New Waterford

🏡 Student Housing – Direct Bus to CBU! 🏡 Looking for a clean, fully furnished room in a quiet student-friendly home? Cape Breton…

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

1 Bedroom in House, 3636 Ellsworth Avenue, New Waterford $650

3636 Ellsworth Avenue, New Waterford

🏡 Student Housing – Direct Bus to CBU! 🏡 Looking for a clean, fully furnished room in a quiet student-friendly home? Cape Breton…

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

2-Bedroom Suite, 63 Common Street, Sydney $2200

63 Common Street, Sydney

This fully furnished 2-bedroom suite is available to rent beginning September 1st, 2026. All utilities will be included in tenants…

2 bedrooms
  • Category: Suite
  • Status: Available September
  • Feature: 2 Bedrooms
  • Rent Period: Fixed Term Lease
  • Amenity: Electricity
View Listing

Apartment for Rent, Whitney Pier, Sydney $500

Whitney Pier, Sydney

This is a fully furnished apartment in Whitney Pier, that is available to rent immediately to 3 tenants. All utilities…

  • Category: Apartment
  • Status: Available
  • Feature: Bus Route
  • Rent Period: Monthly
  • Amenity: Electricity
View Listing

1-Bedroom Suite, 1 Maxie Street, Glace Bay $600

1 Maxie Street, Glace Bay

This 1-bedroom suite is attached to the homeowners home, however tenant has a separate entrance. The suite has a queen…

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

2-Bedroom Apts, 96 Pleasant Street, North Sydney $1250

96 Pleasant Street, North Sydney

2 fully furnished 2-bedroom apartments; 1 upper level apartment & 1 lower level apartment. Tenants will have heat, water and…

2 bedrooms
  • Category: Apartments
  • Status: Available
  • Feature: 2 Bedrooms
  • Rent Period: Lease
  • Amenity: Heat
View Listing

Shared Large Master Bedroom, 5 Cameron Street, Glace Bay $1000

5 Cameron Street, Glace Bay

This is a large, shared master bedroom, with a private bathroom. Tenant can pick their own roomate and split the…

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