Off Campus Housing

Communities and Location

Most Selkirk College programs are located in Castlegar, at Selkirk College's Castlegar Campus. The Resort and Hotel Management Program, Post Graduate Diploma in Hospitality Management, Ski Resort Operations Management Program, Digital Arts Program, Professional Cook Program, Fine Arts Programs and Trades Programs  are located in Nelson.

There are city busses that connect Castlegar to the communities of Nelson, South Slocan and Trail, however service can be infrequent, and there is limited service on weekends and holidays. Please investigate bus schedules before you choose to live outside of the community where your program is located.

Resources for finding an apartment:

Check local newspapers in the classified section for listings of available apartments.  Bulletin boards around the college often have advertisements for rooms to rent.

• Selkirk College's  off-campus housing list. 
• For housing in Castlegar, check  Castlegar News Classifieds, Pennywise Classifieds, Castlegar Source, 
• For housing in Nelson, check www.ilovenelson.com, Nelson Star Classifieds, Discover Nelson, or the Pennywise Classifieds
• Kijiji Nelson has rental listings for both Castlegar and Nelson.
• For more information on off-campus housing see the International Student Handbook

Move in dates are normally the 1st of each month. Tenant normally must tell their landlord one month before if they are planning on moving. Landlords will typically ask new tenants to pay a damage deposit which is normally 1/2 of a month's rent, and will be returned upon moving out as long as the apartment is in as good condition as it was upon arrival (no new damage).

Please note Selkirk College does not monitor, inspect or recommend specific housing options.  Students secure housing at their own risk. For more information about housing see BC's Residential Tenancy Act http://www.rto.gov.bc.ca/

Apartment vs. Suite vs. Room

An apartment is a room or suite of rooms located in a building occupied by more than one household.  Apartment buildings generally have many apartments.

A suite is usually a private living arrangement in a house. Suites are often in the basement, ground floor or top floor.  Like an apartment, they have a private living space, kitchen, bathroom and access to the outdoors. 

A room is a bedroom in a larger house or apartment shared with other individuals. You generally have your own bedroom and shared kitchen, bathroom and living space with roommates.  

All off-campus housing in Canada will have a stove and refrigerator. Some will also include access to shared laundry facilities. 

Furnished vs. Unfurnished

Some off-campus housing is “furnished," this means that it comes with furniture (ie. A bed, chairs, table). The majority of apartments and suites do not come with furniture, and you will need to purchase the basics.  Unfurnished apartments should come with a fridge, stove and cupboards in the kitchen.

References

Many landlords will ask for references before they rent to you. This means they want you to provide them with the name and telephone number of someone who you have rented from before or who knows you well and can tell them about you and vouch for you.