Student Housing in Newfoundland and Labrador: Residence, Rentals and What It Costs

On campus residence at Memorial University

Memorial University runs two traditional-style residences, one suite-style residence, and apartment-style housing at its St. John's campus. Fees for the 2026-27 academic year break down by building and room type (Memorial University Housing ).

Paton and Macpherson prices include a mandatory meal plan. Burton's Pond Apartments, a self-catered option with a shared washroom, cost $3,000 per person per semester. Burton's Pond Family Apartments come in 2, 3, or 4 room layouts at $1,300 a month and suit students with a partner or child.

Applying costs a non-refundable $40 fee per semester. New applicants also pay a $500 confirmation fee, credited toward your accommodation cost rather than charged on top of it. If you need to stay in residence outside the regular semester dates, an interim break rate of $20 a night applies.

Grenfell Campus in Corner Brook and the Marine Institute in St. John's run separate residence systems from the main St. John's campus. Confirm rates directly with the campus you attend.

Priority housing for first year students

Memorial prioritizes residence placement for students entering directly from high school who apply by the university's posted deadline, a common approach across Canadian first year housing. Confirm the current policy and application deadline directly with Memorial University Housing Services ([email protected], 709-864-7590), since deadlines shift year to year.

Off campus rentals in St. John's

Most upper year and graduate students move off campus. St. John's rent costs less than Toronto, Vancouver, or Ottawa. Popular student rental areas sit close to campus, within walking distance or a short Metrobus ride. Check the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation's annual Rental Market Report for current average rents by bedroom count and neighbourhood before you set a budget (CMHC ).

St. John's housing stock leans older, with many basement apartments and converted row houses rather than large purpose-built rental towers. Older units sometimes come with dated wiring or drafty windows, so ask about maintenance history and confirm smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are installed and working before you sign.

Budget beyond rent for heat. Many older St. John's houses and apartments use oil or electric heat that runs high through the winter. Ask every landlord whether heat is included before you sign.

Housing outside St. John's

Grenfell Campus in Corner Brook and College of the North Atlantic's regional campuses sit in smaller communities with a tighter rental market than St. John's. Contact each campus's student services office early, since fewer units turn over and landlords often rent to returning students before a room is publicly listed.

Budgeting beyond rent

Off campus living adds costs that residence fees already bundle in. Budget separately for electricity or oil heat, internet, groceries, and tenant's insurance, which protects your belongings and covers liability if you cause damage to the unit. Many St. John's landlords do not require tenant's insurance, but carrying it costs little relative to replacing a laptop or textbooks after a fire or flood.

Furnishing an off campus place from scratch adds a real first month cost. Check Memorial's classifieds, local buy-and-sell groups, and end-of-lease giveaways from graduating students before buying furniture and kitchen items new.

Setting up utilities

Off campus renters typically set up their own electricity account and choose an internet provider separately from rent, unless your lease states otherwise. Ask the previous tenant or the landlord for average monthly utility costs before you sign, and confirm exactly what is and is not included in your rent in writing.

Leases and tenant rights

The Residential Tenancies Act, 2018 governs leases in Newfoundland and Labrador. Government Service NL's Residential Tenancies division handles disputes between you and your landlord, including security deposit disagreements and eviction notices (Government Service NL ). Read your lease before signing, confirm the security deposit amount in writing, and keep a dated move-in photo record of the unit's condition.

If a dispute comes up, Government Service NL runs a formal dispute resolution process, including teleconference hearings, instead of requiring you to go to court.

Roommates and commuting

Splitting a house or apartment with roommates cuts your per-person rent and is common among upper year Memorial students. Weigh a longer commute against lower rent carefully. St. John's has hilly terrain and long winters, so a 20 minute walk in September looks different in a January snowstorm. Metrobus, the city's public transit system, sells a student semester pass that connects most residential neighbourhoods to campus.

Confirm every roommate's name goes on the lease, rather than one signer collecting rent from the others. A verbal side arrangement leaves you exposed if a roommate stops paying or moves out mid-lease, since the landlord still holds every named tenant responsible for the full rent.

Metrobus runs less frequently than transit in a larger city, so factor real wait times into how convenient a further out but cheaper apartment is in practice.