More students looking for off-campus housing; college, private company partner to help

Being a student and finding accommodation off-campus can be tough at the best of times.

But after a 2020-21 pandemic school year, in which some off-campus landlords were reluctant to let the COVID-19 virus spread into their rental properties, landlords are starting to reopen their doors to students.

And with some post-secondary schools allowing only a limited number of students into on-campus housing due to COVID-19 concerns, more students are seeking off-campus apartments or rooms for the upcoming 2021-22 academic year.

Sault College will be hosting two landlord information sessions, designed to help landlords connect with students interested in living off-campus, a college release states.

The sessions will be held Tuesday, Aug. 10 at 6:30 p.m. in Room M1030. The first session may also be attended virtually. A second information session, to be held online only, will be held Thursday, Aug. 12 at 12 p.m.

Those landlords attending virtually may do so by clicking here.     

College staff will be providing information on how landlords can advertise their rentals in a way that will reach the school’s students, provide general information on the needs of students and answers to questions about advertising a rental property.

Social distancing, masking and COVID-19 screening will be in effect for those attending the on-campus session.

The college’s website also refers to the services of Places4Students as a way for landlords to advertise their vacancies and a way for students to find a place off-campus.

Places4Students was established in 2003, working with colleges and universities across North America in the search for off-campus housing for students.

Places4Students is currently partnered with over 190 institutions, including Sault College.

“We’re the liaison between the schools, landlords and property managers in all of those areas. Sault College has been partnered with us since 2017,” said Kim McConnery, Places4Students spokesperson, speaking to SooToday from St. Catharines.

“Students can register with an account and look for property listings, and they can also build a roommate profile and connect with other students looking for roommates, and there’s also a sublet section option for students as well.”  

“(As a landlord) you register for an account on our website or by going to Sault College’s off-campus housing website. They have all the links there, you would just register with an account, post your property and then the students will contact you based on your phone number or email, depending on how you want to be contacted.”

It’s safe, McConnery said.

“Our staff goes through all of the property listings that go online. We monitor for fraudulent activity. We make sure the listings aren’t discriminatory in any manner. There’s a human eye on the listings before they go online, to give a sense of safety for the students. That’s pretty much why the schools partner with us, so we can do that filtering for them.”  

It’s a neat partnership between Places4Students and Sault College, McConnery said.

“Sault College will promote places for students looking for off campus housing. They promote us and we promote services for them in the area.”

“Typically there’s been a decent balance with on-campus and off-campus housing, but due to COVID-19 a lot of our schools have had to limit the number of students that they can have in residence, on-campus,” McConnery said.

McConnery said while some of Places4Students’ landlords “are pausing for now, it seems like most people are getting comfortable with the idea of people living back in (at their off-campus properties). It’s kind of turning back around for us, which is good. Last year we definitely had a little bit of a pause because of being dead in the middle of the pandemic but we’re seeing people (landlords) open their doors again.”

Places4Students is not directly partnered with Algoma University, but McConnery said “because we’ve been in the area a while, most students know to look through Sault College if they’re from Algoma University (and looking for an off-campus place).”