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 in an undergraduate or graduate degree program 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. However, the priority is student families in an undergraduate or graduate 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

If you’re considering taking a leave from your studies at U of T, please consult with the Admissions Office before pausing your studies, as taking a leave may affect your eligibility to remain in University Family Housing. Supporting documentation will be required when your leave is under review by UFH.  

Types of Leaves:  

  • Parental Leave: Residents may take up to one year of leave if they or their partner (living with them) has or adopts a child.  
  • Medical Leave: Residents may take up to one term of leave.  
  • Other Leaves: For other types of leaves, please contact the Admissions Office to discuss your situation.

Documenting Eligibility for Student Families

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

To confirm your eligibility for University Family Housing, you will be required to provide the following at the time an apartment is conditionally offered to you: 

  • Proof of current registration in a full-time U of T undergraduate or graduate degree program. 
  • Proof of financial ability to pay rent in full and on time.  
  • Proof that your spouse/partner and/or child(ren) will live with you full time.  

Documenting Eligibility

For apartments at Charles Street, standard wait times are approximately 1.5 years. However, this duration can vary based on several factors, including:    

  • The apartment preferences you listed in your application, as well as those of other applicants  
  • Your preferred move-in date (please note, we cannot guarantee meeting your preference,  
  • The amount of notice you need to plan for your move  
  • Vacancy rates, the number of available apartments and their sizes  

We recommend not informing your current landlord of your intent to move until you have received an apartment offer and signed a lease with us.  

For apartments at Huron-Sussex, standard wait times are several years.

You may live at University Family Housing as long as you continue to meet all eligibility requirements, including academic status, family/marital status, financial status, and remain in compliance with the terms of your lease agreement.

 

International students are given priority due to the added challenges they face securing housing from abroad. For example, if an international student submits their application on March 1, they will receive two months of priority and will be considered as if they applied on January 1.  

Students with children are given priority for two-bedroom apartments.  

We will consider postdoctoral fellows and postgraduate medical trainees with families, depending on housing availability. However, priority will always go to student families in a full-time undergraduate or graduate degree program. 

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. 

Due to the popularity of this program and the limited amount of housing, we compile an annual applicant list, which typically opens on December 1 for the following year.

How quickly applicants receive housing offers 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, 2025, you are eligible to stay in housing until July 31, 2029.

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.