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, 43 Railroad Street, Sydney $600

43 Railroad Street, Sydney

1 furnished bedroom available to rent in the landlords house. Landlord would prefer a non-smoking, male tenant. This bedroom is…

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

1 Bed in Shared Bedroom, 850 George Street, Sydney $500

850 George Street, Sydney

There is 1 bed in a shared, furnished bedroom. The landlord is seeking 1 female tenant to rent this space…

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

1 Bedroom in House, Harbourview Drive, Sydney $550

Harbourview Drive, Sydney

1 single bedroom available to rent to 1 female tenant, beginning May 1st, 2024. The tenant will share kitchen and…

1 bedrooms
  • Category: Bedroom
  • Status: Available May 1st
  • Type: House
  • Feature: Bus Route
  • Rent Period: 1 year lease
  • Amenity: Electricity
View Listing

3 Bedrooms in House, 105 Carmichael Drive, Sydney River $725

105 Carmichael Drive, Sydney River

There are 3 fully furnished bedrooms available to rent immediately. This house is located in a very quiet and safe…

3 bedrooms
  • Category: Bedrooms
  • Status: Available May 1st
  • Type: House
  • Feature: Fully Furnished
  • Rent Period: Lease
  • Amenity: Electricity
View Listing

1 Bedroom in House, 52 Richardson Avenue, Sydney $850

52 Richardson Avenue, Sydney

1 bedroom available to rent immediately to 1 female tenant. This bedroom could be partially furnished if need be. All…

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

1 Shared Bedroom, 201 South Bentinck Street, Sydney $875

201 Bentinck Street, Sydney

There is 1 shared bedroom available to rent immediately. All utilities will be included in tenants rent. The nearest bus…

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

3 Bedrooms in House, 484 Alexandra Street, Sydney $525

484 Alexandra Street, Sydney

There is 1 shared bedroom and 2 private bedrooms in this house, available to rent beginning May 1st, 2024. Landlord…

3 bedrooms
  • Category: Bedrooms
  • Status: Available May 1st
  • Type: House
  • Feature: 3 Bedrooms
  • Rent Period: Monthly
  • Amenity: Electricity
View Listing

1 Bed in Shared Bedroom, 123 Maloney Street, Whitney Pier $500

123 Maloney Street, Whitney Pier

This is a fully furnished, very large, shared bedroom, with 1 space available. Tenant will have all utilities included in…

1 bedrooms
  • Category: Bed
  • Status: Available May 1st
  • Type: House
  • Feature: Bus Route
  • Rent Period: Monthly
  • Amenity: Electricity
View Listing

1 Bed in Shared Bedroom, 45 Campbell Street, Sydney $400

45 Campbell Street, Sydney

Room #4: One bed in a shared bedroom, available for one person to rent beginning May 1, 2024. This is…

1 bedrooms
  • Category: Bed
  • Status: Available May 1st
  • Type: House
  • Feature: Fully Furnished
  • Rent Period: Fixed Term Lease
  • Amenity: Electricity
View Listing

1 Shared Bedroom, 45 Campbell Street, Sydney $400

45 Campbell Street, Sydney

Room #2: One bedroom available for two tenants to rent, beginning May 1st, 2024. This is shared living and tenants…

1 bedrooms
2 bathrooms
  • Category: Bedroom
  • Status: Available May 1st
  • Type: House
  • Feature: Bus Route
  • Rent Period: Fixed Term Lease
  • Amenity: Cable
View Listing

2 Bedrooms in House, 37 Campbell Street, Sydney

37 Campbell Street. Sydney

Both bedrooms linked below are available to rent immediately. This house is located in downtown Sydney (all in one property).…

2 bedrooms
  • Category: Bedrooms
  • Status: Available
  • Type: House
  • Feature: 2 Bedrooms
  • Amenity: Electricity
View Listing

2-Bedroom Apt, 9 Douglas Street, Sydney $2400

9 Douglas Street, Sydney

This is a large, furnished 2-bedroom apartment, available to rent beginning May 1st, 2024. This apartment is able to accommodate…

2 bedrooms
  • Category: Apartment
  • Status: Available May 1st
  • Feature: 2 Bedrooms
  • Rent Period: Lease
  • 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.

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