University Family Housing

Frequently Asked Questions

Student Family Housing

Eligibility & Admissions

University of Toronto students actively registered and enrolled full-time each Fall and Winter term pursuing a degree who: 

  • Are living full time with a spouse/common-law partner and/or 
  • Have custody of one or two children 

We may also consider postdoctoral fellows and postgraduate medical trainees with a family if there is more than enough housing available to meet the demand by degree student families. First priority must go to student families in a degree program. 

Single students are not eligible. Student Family Housing is reserved for U of T students with families, i.e. partner and/or children, because there are many other residence options for single students, in addition to off-campus housing. 

Eligibility for Student Families

Click here to submit an online application. Note that we have an extensive waiting list and cannot guarantee when we will be able to offer you an apartment. 

To apply you need to document your marital/family status, your full time enrolment status, and financial ability. These are some of the documents you will need to provide to be eligible to live at Student Family Housing: 

  • Marriage certificate or common law affidavit (affidavit must be combined with other document/s showing partners live together).  
  • Children’s information, e.g., birth certificates; if you are a single parent, we require legal custody documents confirming you have at least 50% custody. 
  • Financial documentation, e.g., bank statements, loans, bursaries, scholarships 
  • Proof of academic registration. 
  • Visas & family’s airline tickets confirming their arrival date if they are not already living here. 
  • Legal photo ID, e.g., driver’s license, passport, PR card (we do not accept informal photos, such as from a wedding). 

The apartments at 30 and 35 Charles Street West are two high rise towers located at Bay and Bloor in downtown Toronto. These high-rise buildings were built in 1969 and have 711 apartments where over 2000 students and their family members live. The Charles Street community only houses student families. 

The Huron-Sussex community is a neighbourhood of historic century homes that have been converted into separate apartment units located on the west end of the St. George Campus. There are an extremely limited number of apartments available, most of which house new faculty members for U of T. A very small number of student families and long-term tenants also live in these apartments.  

Charles Street Community

For apartments at Charles Street, it can take a year or more from the date we receive your application before we can offer you an apartment. Please contact us three months before your preferred move-in date to discuss your status on the waiting list and vacancies at that time. If you have to move during July-September, it may take at least a year or more to get an apartment. If you must give your landlord two months’ notice before moving, it will likewise be over a year to get a housing offer. Please contact us before you submit a Notice to Vacate to your current landlord to discuss your status on the waiting list and if we have any vacancies. 

For apartments at Huron-Sussex , there are only a dozen or so units available for student families, so the waiting list is unpredictable but often takes multiple years to get an offer. 

As long as you are actively enrolled and registered in a full-time program, have your family living with you, and are paying your rent promptly, you can remain in your apartment. 

 

Priority during the summer months and September is given to international students applying from a considerable distance. We appreciate the added challenge faced by students living outside the country. 

Priority for two bedroom apartments is given to students with children. 

As indicated above, we will also consider postdoctoral fellows and postgraduate medical trainees with a family, depending on the availability of housing. First priority, though, must go to student families in a degree program. 

Parental Leave
Current residents are eligible to take up to one year away from their studies for parental leave if they or their partner living with them has or adopts a child. Documentation is required and the plan to take a parental leave must be discussed with the Admissions Office of University Family Housing.

Medical Leaves
Current residents are eligible to take up to one term away from their studies for documented and approved medical leaves.

Other Leaves
If you are considering taking a leave from your studies at U of T, please consult with the University Family Housing Admissions Manager. Taking a leave from school may lead to you no longer being eligible to live at University Family Housing.

You can contact the Admissions Office at studentadmissions.ufh@utoronto.ca or call at 416-978-8049.

Documenting Eligibility for Student Families

Faculty Housing

Eligibility & Admissions

You are eligible if you are applying from outside the Greater Toronto area, and you are a: 

  • Newly appointed faculty with a full time tenure stream appointment at the University of Toronto. 
  • Newly appointed faculty with a full time continuing status stream appointment in the teaching stream at the University of Toronto.   

You are not eligible if: 

  • You have a Contractually Limited Term Appointment (CLTA) 
  • You have a clinical and/or status only appointment 
  • You are a post-doctoral fellow 
  • You have a staff appointment 
  • You are a student 
  • You have previously stayed in New Faculty Housing either as the primary applicant or the spouse/partner of the primary applicant 

IMPORTANT: Housing offers are void if the nature of your appointment to the University does not meet the criteria of the New Faculty Housing program. We confirm all appointments with  the Office of the Vice Provost, Faculty and Academic Life. 

Our lease year runs from August 1 to July 31. As a result, housing turnover is most frequent in summer, for later summer occupancy (July, August).  Occasionally, housing becomes available at other times of the year (eg. November or December). Due to the popularity of this program and the limited amount of housing, we compile an annual application list of applicants. The application list typically opens on December 1 for the following year. How quickly one is offered housing depends on a number of factors, with housing offers commencing in April. 

The Huron-Sussex community is a neighbourhood of historic century homes that have been converted into separate apartment units located on the west end of the St. George Campus. There are an extremely limited number of apartments available, most of which house new faculty members for U of T. A very small number of student families and long-term tenants also live in these apartments.   

The apartments at 30 and 35 Charles Street West are two high rise towers located at Bay and Bloor in downtown Toronto. These high-rise buildings were built in 1969 and have 711 apartments where over 2000 students and their family members live. The Charles Street community only houses student families.  

Charles Street Community

How quickly one is offered housing depends on several factors, including: 

  • position on application list  
  • date of application 
  • appointment date 
  • unit size requested 
  • availability of unit 
  • applicant’s preferred move-in date 

Once we receive your application, we will confirm your place on the application list. We do not carry over application list applicants from one year to the next. 

For more information, click here.

You are eligible to stay in Faculty Housing for up to four years from your year of first appointment.  The lease year runs from August 1 to July 31. So, for example, if your appointment date is July 1, 2024, you are eligible to stay in housing until July 31, 2028. 

Applicants from outside of the GTA get priority and first refusal to the available units. How quickly one is offered housing is dependent on the factors outlined in question 4.

Charles Street FAQs

Moving In & Your Lease

All apartments come unfurnished. The flooring is a wood parquet over solid concrete, bathrooms and kitchens have linoleum tiles.  

All apartments have refrigerators and stoves, and centrally controlled heating. You pay to have an air conditioning unit installed in your apartment if you wish. Communal laundry facilities are available in each building that are pay per use. 

Each apartment has access to a personal balcony. 

Smoking is not permitted in your apartment and balcony, lobbies, halls, laundry rooms, elevators, shared/public spaces, parking garage, or the Rooftop Garden. 

Because we are a residence for students with families, and there is a large population of children here, we have implemented a Non-Smoking Policy in apartments for all families moving in on or after January 1, 2013. The term “smoking” means inhaling, exhaling, burning or carrying any lighted cigar, cigarette, e-cigarette, vaporizer, bong, joint, smoking tobacco, cannabis, or any drug in any inhaled form is prohibited.  

Current residents who signed a lease on or prior to December 31, 2012, will not have signed a non-smoking lease. They are not forbidden to smoke unless they are interfering with their neighbours’ right to reasonable enjoyment of their own apartment. 

The health risks to adults as well as children and pregnant women exposed to second hand smoke is a serious concern. Accordingly, we ask that smokers leave the building to smoke outdoors 9 metres away from the entrances so that the smoke does not circulate through the ventilation system. 

Not under any circumstances. You will be evicted for subletting or having unauthorized people staying in your apartment. We DO NOT permit tenants to share their apartment with friends or family members or rent out their apartment to people not listed on the lease. This is not permitted, regardless of whether money is paid for the housing arrangement or not. 

In cases where you require accommodation for a disability, please first register with the University of Toronto Accessibility Services to ensure you are connected with all appropriate resources and supports, and to determine what your housing needs are.  

The buildings at 30 and 35 Charles Street West have an automatic door opener for the front entrance, as do the Residence and Admissions Offices, the laundry rooms, and we currently have two apartments with door openers. The laundry room also has some washers and dryers with front-loading for ease of access. 

There are two fully accessible apartments at 30 and 35 Charles Street West. If you have specific housing accessibility needs, please contact studentadmissions.ufh@utoronto.ca to discuss your situation. 

While we make every reasonable effort to make this a pleasant and safe living environment, we are unable to determine what apartment will make a perfect place for you, it will be your job to assess this before accepting an offer. 

As long as you are actively enrolled and registered in a full-time program, have your family living with you, and are paying your rent promptly, you can remain in your apartment. 

If you are finishing your program and you want to remain in the residence, you can do so if your partner is registered in a full-time UofT degree program. Please give us a copy of your partner’s registration so we can switch the primary names on your lease, and you can then remain in residence. 

Rent & Insurance

Rent is due on the 1st day of each month during your tenancy. There is no daily or weekly rate available as this residence is long-term only. Repeated late payment of rent after the first of the month may result in eviction and will cause anyone interested in transferring to be refused.  

First and last month’s rent must be paid by certified cheque, bank draft or money order. Once moved in, residents can pay by personal cheque, bank draft, money order, Pre-Authorized Debit and now by Point-of-Sale for Canadian debit. 

Rent increases on September 1st each year, except in 2021 for current tenants. 

The Resident covenants to pay the rent to the Landlord, in the manner set out in Section 3 (of the lease) without any deduction whatsoever. 

The rent at Charles Street Student Family Housing is subject to a rent increase for all units on September 1st of each year, the amount of which is given to residents three months prior to the increase taking effect. Note that tenants are required to add this rental increase amount to your last month’s rent deposit. 

Tenants are required to sign an annual N11 form once they have provided documentation of their full-time status for continued eligibility. 

Rent at the Huron-Sussex Student Family Housing is likewise subject to an annual rent increase once every 12 months. Residents will be notified three months in advance of the increase date with the details of the amount. 

No, but a resident’s (tenant’s) contents insurance package is mandatory.  

Under Ontario law, the University has no legal responsibility to cover repairs or replacement of your personal belongings. Resident’s insurance covers your personal property such as furniture, wardrobe, sports equipment, sound system, musical instruments, camera, computer, etc. It can provide you not only with protection against theft and fire, but against water damage from plumbing break-downs, which are a real threat in buildings of this age. 

Resident’s Insurance at Charles Street

Heat, electricity, and hot water are included in the rent. Parking, laundry, internet, cable and phone are not included. 
Contact the Residence Office to let them know and discuss your options. 

Everyday Living at UFH

This is a noisy area with construction happening often, and noise also travels within the buildings easily. If you are sensitive to noise, speak to the Admissions staff. Also make sure you check out the apartment’s sound level with the windows open as well as closed, and look at where the unit is within the building – is it near the elevators? Is it near the laundry room or garbage room? Is it at the top of the building near the boiler room? 
Residents in Ontario have the right to keep pets, but the laws governing this include exceptions and conditions. In fact, many residents in our buildings happily keep pets. 
Charles Street has an on-site daycare facility, independently run by George Brown College with priority given to UFH residents. We also have many children’s programs and resources for families to take advantage of. 

The Tenants’ Association (TA) is run by a group of tenants elected by the student families to represent their interests with the University. The management team and the TA executive strive to work collaboratively. The elected executive members meet with Operations and Residence Life staff on a monthly basis, during which they are provided with building updates and seek their input on tenant concerns, improvements and planning. The budget is presented to the TA each year in the planning stage. When tenants are having difficulty resolving concerns directly with staff, they may seek assistance and advocacy from the Tenants’ Association. 

Maintenance & Services

Resident work order requests are submitted to the Residence Office by way of the Online Maintenance Request System. If additional assistance is required, residents are encouraged to call, email, or visit the office in person, during regular office hours. Maintenance staff will be dispatched to address resident work orders, and will coordinate any follow-up repairs with contractors, as needed. In case of flooding, complete loss of heat or power, call the maintenance staff or Security immediately. 
Charles Street, like all high rise apartment buildings in Toronto, has cockroaches and is very serious and adamant about cleanliness and pest control, and will take immediate action towards any such issues. We ask residents who may be facing problems to contact the Residence Office to schedule treatment and receive information right away. 

Parking in the underground garage is available at 35 Charles St W for residents and is paid on a monthly basis. Parking is arranged through the residence office. 

Our buildings have a number of spaces available for student families to use. Residents can book our recreation room on the 2nd floor of 35 Charles for parties and gatherings. Residents can use the meeting room on the 3rd floor of 30 Charles for quiet study space. In 35 Charles, we also have a lounge space that is open to all adult residents and supervised children from 8am until 11pm each day. Our outdoor areas include the rooftop garden on the 3rd floor of 30 Charles and the playground area on the south side of 35 Charles – both of these are non-bookable. All spaces are available to all residents, regardless of building of residence. 

 

On site 24/7 security. Security assists with locker requests, move-ins and move-outs, putting elevators on service. Security does regular patrols inside and outside the buildings and deals with noise complaints and other building incidents. 

 Apartment & Building Safety Features

There is no central air conditioning. If you wish to purchase and have an air conditioner installed, please contact the Residence Office. 

Heating & Ventilation at Charles Street

You are not permitted to install or use any additional appliances or change fixtures, including the washing machine, dryer, dishwasher, bidet and more. These overload the plumbing and electrical systems in the building and cause significant problems like power outages, flooding of dirty water into other apartments, scalding hot water in the bath or shower, can cause a lack of hot water, water pressure, and cause other damage. 

Appliances at Charles Street

Transfers & Moving Out

No one is automatically entitled to a transfer. You can only apply for an apartment transfer if your family is growing, you have lived in that unit for a minimum of one year, and if you keep your apartment clean, in good condition, and have paid your rent on time. Note that it typically takes 1 – 1.5 + years to be offered an apartment. For more information and to download the transfer application, please visit our page. 

Apartment Transfers

You will need to provide a Notice to Vacate two months before the move out date. Please contact the Residence Office to get a copy of or to submit the required Notice to Vacate forms. 

Huron-Sussex FAQs

Moving In & Your Lease

All apartments are unfurnished, and all come with heat, air conditioning and window coverings.  Most units have one washroom, some have two. Some units have non-functioning, ornamental (only) fireplaces that are original to the house. 

Flooring in the apartments range from wood to ceramic to linoleum to carpeted to laminated, or a combination thereof. 

In addition to refrigerators and stoves, many units also have dishwashers. Some units have ensuite laundry. For those that don’t have ensuite laundry, we have three 24-hour, faculty-only (keyed entry), communal laundry rooms located in the neighbourhood. The use of these is included in your housing charge. 

Many units come with front porches, balconies or decks.  Some have access to front and/or back yards 

Smoking, of any kind ( eg. cigarettes,  cannabis, cigars, e-cigarettes (vapes), IQOS, pipes, shisha) is not allowed in the units or common areas (e.g. hallways, doorways, vestibules, stairwells). 

Subletting, for any reason (friend, colleague, student, family member, Air BnB, VRBO etc.), is prohibited.   

All units are walk-ups. With the exception of our single family homes, each unit is located in a house that has been subdivided into two or three self-contained apartments. Units will share a common front entrance, vestibule and hallway access. One bedroom units take up one floor, larger units can take up to two floors. No two apartments are exactly alike.  

Due to the age of the houses, many of the internal staircases and doorways are narrow; thus moving large pieces of furniture or box springs up the stairs and around corners can be difficult. 

For Faculty Housing: You are eligible to stay in Faculty Housing for up to four years from your year of first appointment.  The lease year runs from August 1 to July 31. So, for example, if your appointment date is July 1, 2024, you are eligible to stay in housing until July 31, 2028. Extension requests for stays beyond the four year eligibility period, will not be granted.  

For Student Families: As long as you are actively enrolled and registered in a full-time program, have your family living with you, and are paying your rent promptly, you can remain in your apartment. 

Housing Charge & Insurance

All payments must be in CANADIAN FUNDS. 

Housing charges are due on the first of every month and can be submitted by personal cheque, money order, bank draft, cashier’s or certified cheque, or by pre-authorized debit. 

Payment Policy at Huron-Sussex

For Faculty Housing: Rents are subject to annual increases. Notice is sent 3 months before the increase. 

For Student Families: Rent at the Huron-Sussex Student Family Housing is likewise subject to an annual rent increase once every 12 months. Residents will be notified three months in advance of the increase date with the details of the amount. 

The University does not carry content insurance for your personal property and we strongly recommend that you make arrangements for this.  The following web sites regarding insurance may be helpful: The Canadian Association of University Teachers’ Affinity Programs and University of Toronto Alumni Affinity Services. 

Residents will be held responsible for damages to the unit. 

Your housing charge includes all utilities, (e.g., heat, air conditioning, water and electricity) and the use of the faculty only, communal laundry rooms, or, ensuite laundry (if applicable) 

Your housing charge does not include parking, telephone, cable, internet, housekeeping services, or contents insurance 

For Student families living in Huron-Sussex that are struggling financially should contact their Registrar to apply for various funding options and should notify the Student Family Housing Admissions Office if they will be late paying rent. Check this link for further information: https://future.utoronto.ca/finances/financial-aid/

Everyday Living at UFH

Although Huron-Sussex is a neighbourhood of houses, it is located in a busy, densely populated area of downtown Toronto and can therefore be quite noisy with traffic and construction sounds. 

Noise can sometimes travel from one suite to another. The sub-floors are not solid concrete as is common in high-rise apartment complexes.  We ask residents to please keep excessive noise and activity (eg. stereos, running, jumping and other forms of “horseplay”) to a minimum. 

Pets, in modest numbers, are welcome.  Please remain vigilant that these “family members” do not disturb/harm other tenants or damage property.  For dogs, a leash policy is in effect and all dogs will be appropriately tethered and attended to, while in co-op common areas; e.g. hallways, laundry rooms, vestibules, shared backyards.  For cats, be mindful that our neighbourhood can be busy traffic-wise.  Urban wildlife such as raccoons, and rodents are present, as well as, from time to time, the occasional hungry coyote. 

The Family Care Office provides information about childcare options near campus: https://familycare.utoronto.ca/childcare/child-care-services/ 

The Early Learning Centre is the UofT daycare near Huron-Sussex housing. 

Faculty will join a Co-operative Housing community by living in the Huron-Sussex Community. Co-operative membership is free and should not generate any onerous obligations on the part of the Member. Members are also invited to attend the Co-operative’s Annual General Meeting which is held early in the new year. This is a combined Co-op Board of Directors and Annual General Membership meeting and provides members with an opportunity to bring their comments or concerns to the attention of the Board.   

Maintenance & Services

Canlight Hall Corporation (formerly Samuel Property Management) is appointed by the University of Toronto to provide property management services to our residential properties. 

They maintain an on-site office at 375 Huron Street that is open from 9:00am to 5:00pm, Monday to Friday. You can reach the office by: 

Yes, our neighbourhood is in a heavily populated and mixed-use neighbourhood, and can, from time to time, be subjected to infiltration by unwelcome guests. These include rats, mice, squirrels, raccoons, possums, pigeons and insects. 

Our Property Management Team and the Faculty Housing Office remain vigilant in their efforts to control and eradicate, whenever possible, pests in our residences. If you should experience or suspect unwanted visitors to your unit, whether inside or out, please let us know at your earliest convenience. If you suspect an infestation of insects, please provide a description, and, if possible, an insect sample as this would be of great help to our Property Management Team in determining the best course of action. 

Subject to availability, reserved, uncovered surface parking can be charged on a monthly basis. The parking spots are assigned on a first-come-first-served basis and may not necessarily be located directly behind your unit, although we try to provide a parking space as close to your apartment as possible. 

Parking at Huron-Sussex

Units will share a common front entrance, vestibule and hallway access and many units come with front porches, balconies or decks.  Some have access to front and/or back yards.  

There is a community garden run by residents from Huron-Sussex and nearby neighbourhoods. The garden is supported by a small annual membership fee, donations, and the University of Toronto. Our purpose is to build community and to promote urban agriculture. 

 

All apartments are equipped with an alarm system. You may choose to have the alarm system monitored by a security company, which you can then arrange yourself. 

Safety & Security at Huron-Sussex

All of our houses have thermostats that are set and monitored by our Property Management staff and according to City of Toronto seasonal standards. In addition, each unit is equipped with its own means of heating (radiator, baseboard or floor/wall vent) and air conditioning (central, ductless and/or, on occasion- a window mounted unit) 

Appliances at Huron-Sussex

You are not permitted to install or use any additional appliances or change fixtures, including the washing machine, dryer, dishwasher, bidet and more. 

 

Transfers & Moving Out

Transfer requests from one unit to another in Huron-Sussex will not be considered for Faculty Housing or Student Family Housing members. 

Student Family Housing members that are living in Huron-Sussex can apply to transfer to the Charles Street community, but not between Huron-Sussex units. 

If New Faculty leave before July 31, you are to provide 90 days’ notice or payment in lieu. Please confirm the date and approximate time of your departure with the Property Management Office, 416-408-1019 or facultyunits.repair.realestate@utoronto.ca. You can also arrange a time to return your keys. 

All Student Family Housing residents at 30/35 Charles Street West and in the Huron-Sussex units are required to submit 60 days Notice to Vacate by the last day of any month. Example: If you would like to vacate May 31st, your Notice to Vacate (signed by all lease holders) must be submitted to the Residence Office by March 31st. 

Information Listed for the Charles Street community applies to student families living in Huron-Sussex

Moving Out of Charles Street