Admitted to University of Waterloo and looking for accommodation? Guess what, this university offers 100% residence guarantee to incoming first-year and transfer students. Whether you are looking for a quiet study space, or to maximize shared space and social opportunities, University of Waterloo accommodations have them all. These residences are offered with a range of room styles, amenities, and meal plan options which are suitable for your different preferences and budgets. You have the option to choose from different dorms and suite-styled (apartment) accommodations. Waterloo residence fees are stated below for your reference
- Village 1 traditional Residence (dorm) fees per term
- Single room: 2.36 lakhs INR
- Interconnecting: 2.25 lakhs INR
- Double: 2.12 lakhs INR
- Ron Eydt Village
- Double room: 2.12 lakhs INR
- Claudette Millar Hall
- Single room: 2.59 lakhs INR
- Semi-private double room: 2.47 lakhs INR
- Suite styles apartments: 2.25 lakhs to 2.82 lakhs INR
- Mackenzie King Village
- UW Place
- Columbia Lake Village South
- Columbia Lake Village - North (For Graduates)
- Columbia Lake Village - North (For Families)
- Minota Hagey residence Waterloo
If budget is not your concern, you can consider the following list to know about the best Waterloo residence. However, we have given the list based on student's reviews and opinions.
- CLV (Columbia Lake Village)
- MKV (Mackenzie King Village)
- V1 (Village 1)
- UWP (UW Place)
It is best to do Waterloo residence comparison before applying for any. You need to apply for University of Waterloo accommodation via a separate application. University of Waterloo residence application deadline is around June 3 every year. There is no application fee, however, if you get residence, you need to confirm it by paying a non-refundable residence deposit fee of 30,545 INR. We have summarized the complete application below for your reference
- Accept your offer of admission from the University of Waterloo
- Complete the Waterloo residence application by the deadline for a guaranteed spot
- Claim your WatIAm ID (student ID) and Set up a Two-Factor Authentication
- Review your self-reported gender to the university before you submit your Waterloo residence application
- Pay your non-refundable housing deposit via Visa, Master Card or American Express
- Complete an Accessible Housing application if you need special consideration for your residence room assignment
University of Waterloo On-campus Accommodation
On-campus accommodation can provide you with a quiet place to study, a room of your own, and shared social spaces. You have the chance to live independently and, at the same time to build meaningful connections with your fellow students. Traditional-style residences (dorms) require a meal plan per term in residence, while suite-style apartment residences have optional meal plans as cooking facilities are provided. Waterloo residence map is given below for your convenience.
Traditional Style Residences or Dorms
Rents for dorms are charged on a per-term basis. The facilities you will get in these traditional residence dorms are as follows
- Utilities (Electricity, Water, Heat)
- High-speed wireless Internet
- Don support and mentorship for first-years
- Technical support at the Residence IT Service Desk
- 24/7 Front Desk assistance
- 24/7 Maintenance support
- Residence-specific amenities (Games, movies, lounges, meeting rooms)
- Exclusive academic programming for first-years (Living-Learning communities, tutoring, leadership opportunities and workshops)
- Exclusive access to fitness and music rooms
Check out the Waterloo residence fees from the table below
Accommodation | Type | Cost Per Term |
---|---|---|
Village 1 | Single room | 2.36 lakhs INR |
Interconnecting | 2.25 lakhs INR | |
Double | 2.12 lakhs INR | |
Ron Eydt Village | Double room | 2.12 lakhs INR |
Claudette Millar Hall | Single room | 2.59 lakhs INR |
Semi-private double room | 2.47 lakhs INR |
Suite-style Apartments
In the suite-style University of Waterloo accommodations, you get the same facilities as the traditional dorms. In addition, you get cooking facilities and the option to cook personal meals. Meal plans in these suits will cost you around 96,523 INR to 1.61 lakhs INR. Check out the Waterloo residence fees for suite-styled apartments from the table below
Accommodation | Type | Rent per Term |
---|---|---|
Mackenzie King Village | Single room (4-bedroom suite) | 2.82 lakhs INR |
UW Place | Single room (2-bedroom suite) | 2.55 lakhs INR |
Single room (3- or 4-bedroom suite) | 2.41 lakhs INR | |
Double room (2-bedroom suite) | 2.22 lakhs INR | |
Columbia Lake Village, South | Single room (4-bedroom suite) | 2.55 lakhs INR |
Columbia Lake Village - North (For Graduates) | Single room (2-bedroom suite) | 2.55 lakhs INR |
Columbia Lake Village - North (For Families) | 2-bedroom suite | 84,855 INR per month |
Minota Hagey residence Waterloo | Single room | 2.46 lakhs INR |

UWaterloo Off-campus Housing
Are you a student, postdoctoral scholar, or visiting scholar looking for housing? University of Waterloo has got you covered. This university has contracted Places4Students to support undergraduate, and graduate students, postdoctoral scholars and visiting scholars with a variety of off-campus housing options. Places4Students verifies all University of Waterloo rental listings abide by The City of Waterloo’s Rental housing licensing bylaw. Here, we have mentioned some of the local resources where you can find UWaterloo off-campus housing.
- Waterloo Co-operative Residence Inc.
- 4Stay
- Accommod8U
- Bamboo Housing
- Canadian Relocation Systems
- ICON
- Kijiji
- Rentals.ca
- RezOne
- Student Housing
- Facebook Marketplace
- Student-run Facebook housing groups
Steps to Find UWaterloo Off-campus Housing
Review the steps below to know how to apply for off-campus housing
- Determine your needs
- Find roommates
- Explore online listings for housing 3–6 months before desired move-in
- Compare factors like rent, location, amenities, and lease terms.
- Gather essential documents such as ID (i.e., passport), proof of enrollment
- Review lease agreements thoroughly and sign it
- Coordinate the logistics and move-in
University of Waterloo is one of the top universities in Canada, that offers 100% residence guarantee to first-year students. If you are a graduate student or 2nd or 3rd year student, you can get accommodations as well. All you need to do is apply via a separate application, and if approved, pay the one-time non-refundable residence deposit fee to secure your place.
FAQs
Ques. Does Waterloo University have dorms?
Ans. Campus Housing offers direct on-campus housing at the University of Waterloo, with a choice of five different communities; three buildings that offer traditional-style dorms and three buildings that offer suite-style apartment living.
Ques. Does Waterloo have a nice campus?
Ans. There is a great deal of green space and there are several new buildings. The vibe of the campus is new and imaginative, instead of an old ivory tower.
Ques. Does the university provide off-campus housing for international Students?
Ans. The university gives off-campus facilities to worldwide Students. Homestays are a decent choice for candidates who need to live near campus yet experience their privacy by not exactly remaining on campus.
Ques. Where are the campuses of UWaterloo situated?
Ans. The campus is surrounded by the boundaries of Waterloo Park, Wilfrid Laurier University, and Laurel Creek Conservation Area. With 3 numbered streets converging the main campus, it is effectively accessible through Public Transport.
Ques. Do you have to live on campus freshman year at Waterloo?
Ans. The majority of first-year university students will live on campus, but in each year, over 1,500 incoming students will choose to live off campus.
Reviews
Most Popular Tags
57 Reviews Found
Likes
- Exposure to Waterloo's startup ecosystem
- Campus facilities in terms of extra circular activities
- Diverse culture
Dislikes
- Burnout, it is tough to survive in a competitive environment as an international student,
- Less part time jobs were available,
- High cost of living,
Accommodation
- I found my accommodation on Facebook Marketplace. Normally everyone there uses FB marketplace for finding listings. Rent ranges from CAD 800 to 900 for a private room, which includes utilities. Sometimes they are separate, like hydro, water, etc. laundry services you have to pay for depending upon the building. My accommodation was on Lester St; it was a 7-minute walk from my class.
- I found my accommodation on Facebook Marketplace. Normally everyone there uses FB marketplace for finding listings. Rent ranges from CAD 800 to 900 for a private room, which includes utilities. Sometimes they are separate, like hydro, water, etc. laundry services you have to pay for depending upon the building. My accommodation was on Lester St; it was a 7-minute walk from my class.

Likes
- Flexibility is choosing the subjects and specialization, even though the degree says Electrical and Computer Engineering, students here can choose few subjects from different department, no pressure of choosing department specific subjects.
- Courses here are not too theoretical, they are a mix of theory and practical assignments.
- The curriculum is up to date with incorporation all the recent technologies out in market in the assignments and projects.
Dislikes
- Limited campus housing for Masters students, so tough competition to get campus housing, mostly will have to live in rented apartment/house which can cost more than campus housing.
- Limited opportunities of Teaching Assistants for Engineering Master students, since its mostly given to PhDs and Master of Science students.
- Campus has limited food joints, they are expanding though, but felt i had less options.
Accommodation
- When I was a student, i used to live near the university, not in campus housing, as it was tough to get into. I and a friend rented an apartment for the first 8 months, and then for the next year, 4 friends rented a whole house with 2 bedrooms, 1 hall, and 1 kitchen. We found both the accommodation through facebook marketplace.
- First apartment rent was 600 CAD per month; second house per head rent was 550 CAD per month excluding the utilities. After including the utilities, it can be 700-750 CAD for both the accommodations
- Winter was the major challenge in finding the apartment, Canada's winter being harsh and we had to visit before confirming the rental place; it was tough to travel in such harsh winter.
- Try your luck in campus housing; if not, stay near the university for the university vibe, though rent would be higher but would be helpful in winters.
- Both the accommodations were a 10-min bus ride to the university or a 20-min walk to the university. Most Indian students stay near the university.
- When I was a student, i used to live near the university, not in campus housing, as it was tough to get into. I and a friend rented an apartment for the first 8 months, and then for the next year, 4 friends rented a whole house with 2 bedrooms, 1 hall, and 1 kitchen. We found both the accommodation through facebook marketplace.
- First apartment rent was 600 CAD per month; second house per head rent was 550 CAD per month excluding the utilities. After including the utilities, it can be 700-750 CAD for both the accommodations
- Winter was the major challenge in finding the apartment, Canada's winter being harsh and we had to visit before confirming the rental place; it was tough to travel in such harsh winter.
- Try your luck in campus housing; if not, stay near the university for the university vibe, though rent would be higher but would be helpful in winters.
- Both the accommodations were a 10-min bus ride to the university or a 20-min walk to the university. Most Indian students stay near the university.









Likes
- The Profs are extremely nice and accommodating. They host weekly office hours if you have any doubts or if you are unable to understand a concept and explain things really well. They also have Teaching assistants helping you when they are not available and everyone is well trained. So you will face no difficulty for finding help.
- Waterloo has a robust co-op program, where you have to do at least 5 internships, allowing you to have real-life experience before you even graduate making it easy to get a job in this market. What makes it even better is all the internships you do, you are going to find them yourself, which indirectly helps you understand and experience job hunting, interviewing etc... at a early stage so you don't have to suffer later on.
- The startup culture here is something that I like a lot. Everyone is trying to invent something new and people who did invent are trying to pitch it to investors and get their product in front of customers, not caring whether it will work or fail and so this entire face-paced process at startups is something that I have experienced and love a lot.
Dislikes
- The Curriculum as interesting as it is, it is also extremely hard. They constantly challenge you with assignments, quizzes, midterms, essays and a lot more, most of them being due at the end of the week. So, people usually get overwhelmed and burnt out by the end of the week, everyone just looking forward to the weekend. But not to rest but to slowly do their assignments instead of doing it in a rush, along with going to class during the weekdays.
- The food is extremely costly. I wish I could eat out every single day because it is quite hard to cook or meal prep for the week when you have a really hard curriculum but that is not possible. Since most food places cost a lot to pay for, you are usually forced to cook at the starting of the week for the entire week, taking out time from your busy schedule.
- The university is set in a small city. So if you do have some free time, there's not much to do around here except going out for bowling or clubbing.
Accommodation
- First year was On-Campus, then Off-campus. To find places off-campus there are several stuff you can do, Facebook Marketplace and some other Canadian housing boards.
- My monthly rent was 800 per month but it doesn't remain constant since your mostly moving houses your entire university life because of your co-op program you really dont stay constant at one house.
- The challenges I experiences were mostly price related, most of the houses are pretty costly.
- I would say, a recommendation I would give is to definitely thoroughly checkout the place before you move forward with a house since I have faced some issues in the past when I did it once.
- First year was On-Campus, then Off-campus. To find places off-campus there are several stuff you can do, Facebook Marketplace and some other Canadian housing boards.
- My monthly rent was 800 per month but it doesn't remain constant since your mostly moving houses your entire university life because of your co-op program you really dont stay constant at one house.
- The challenges I experiences were mostly price related, most of the houses are pretty costly.
- I would say, a recommendation I would give is to definitely thoroughly checkout the place before you move forward with a house since I have faced some issues in the past when I did it once.


Likes
- - Great community and diversity
- - Excellent quality of education (especially for CS related)
- - Transit connectivity and infrastructure of the university buildings
Dislikes
- - Cultural and Fun activities
- - Personal connection with faculty
- - Difficult coursework
Accommodation
- I found accommodation via a friend of mine. There are so many agencies in the city that help with finding accommodation, but usually expensive.
- My rent was $450 on sharing basis when i came in, but changed to $720 when i switched to a different place. Lots of facebook and whatsapp groups. Be cautious when using portals like kijiji or giving out money to some agency,
- I found accommodation via a friend of mine. There are so many agencies in the city that help with finding accommodation, but usually expensive.
- My rent was $450 on sharing basis when i came in, but changed to $720 when i switched to a different place. Lots of facebook and whatsapp groups. Be cautious when using portals like kijiji or giving out money to some agency,


Likes
- The math faculty offers many fantastic events and activities to help its students destress and socialize. The faculty members and staff are also the best I’ve ever seen.
Dislikes
- Students can be more academically competitive, which is not great for mental health at times. If you are prone to stress and criticism, another university might be a better option.
Accommodation
There are many different residences on campus, for first years and upper years. They are about the same cost as renting a decent-quality one-bedroom apartment off-campus.
I chose this university because of rigorous academic abilities, similar culture, friends attending, good co-op program. Overall, I’m really glad I chose to attend the University of Waterloo. The academic culture pushes you to succeed, and many people are very supportive and helpful. It’s a nice city that doesn’t have too many distractions.
Likes
- The university has a flexible curriculum and offers a wide variety of courses to choose from.
- The most interesting part about the University is its Co-op program which helps students gain industry experience as a part of their studies.
- The University is the best for start-up culture. You get to participate in a lot of events aimed at entrepreneurship.
Dislikes
- Some courses are not deep enough for a Master's level of degree.
- The student accommodation is difficult to bag.
- There are not many scholarships for master's students unless you do a research-based program.
Accommodation
Rents are crazy in Canada. You are lucky if you get university housing. There are plenty of student housing out there. I paid around 800 Canadian dollars a month for a private room.
I wanted to do an MBA but needed more experience. This University offered a similar course in Engineering. With its high industry connections, it provided quality co-op programs that enabled me to secure a job. The overall experience is good. Connections are the major advantage of University of Waterloo. It has its very own reputation across the world. The fees, however, is insane.
Likes
- A lot of extra resources for students to excel (to search for co-op internships etc.)
- Flexibility in terms of choosing subjects
- Professors are interesting
Dislikes
- The Arts segment is not as focused on as CS/engineering
- Infrastructure of the university could be better.
- Extracurriculars are not that great.
Accommodation
Rental is usually in the range of 800-1500 CAD PER MONTH for individuals. Sharing would be about 500.
I chose this university because of one of the main factor which is their coop program (one term study, next term internship, and so on). This gives me a lot of practical work experience. My overall experience at the University of Waterloo has been great. The students are mostly smart and helpful and make for good study partners. There is a lot of help available for those who require it, and the campus culture is good.
Likes
- I liked the teaching quality. The updated curriculum I've engaged with blends both traditional theories and the latest advancements.
- Course is designed to ensure students not only grasp foundational knowledge but also actively participate in contemporary discourse.
Accommodation
Accomodation is incredible but we masters student, all of us have taken apartments near by campus, which are the best.We are 3 friends live together, each having one room and private washroom inside room, our rent per month is 600$ including wifi, utilities and everything.
Campus life at the University is vibrant and diverse offering a rich tapestry of experiences both inside & outside the classroom. The university boasts modern and well-equipped infrastructure, including lecture halls, research facilities, and libraries that cater to our academic needs. The campus buzzes with a lot of events and extracurricular activities throughout the year. These range from cultural festivals and arts performances to sports competitions and social gatherings, ensuring there's something for everyone to participate in and enjoy.
Likes
- University of Waterloo is known for its Computer Science faculty being the best in North America, studying here for the past 2 years, I would definitely agree to this statement. Professors are extremely knowledgeable, they have deep understanding of the concepts and the assignment test your skills effectively.
- I would say, you would never be memorizing concepts instead learning the intuition behind it, so it stays with you forever.
- UWaterloo also has many extracurricular activities spanning sports, dance, music and recreational activities, so I recall from my time at UW, I have attended sporting events, salsa-bachata, bhangra, Kpop dance sessions, in addition to doing stress busting activities like pot painting and Christmas card making. So, it's not just all study but UW community gives you a platform for going beyond books as well.
Dislikes
- Study terms can be sometimes be stressful, especially, when preparing for mid-terms and finals, as the exam week might not have many study leaves, but if the student prepares well ahead in time, I think this can be overcome.
Accommodation
I live in campus housing which is recommended as a graduate student, do look out for CLV accommodation, it is by far the best!
I chose University of Waterloo for its Computer Science faculty, being the best in North America. I also received offer from my desired program (Masters with thesis), as I wanted to delve deeper into research. University of Waterloo is also reputable in the industry as it produces bright technological savvy minds, and I aspired to be one. Life at UW will be memorable if you know how to balance fun and studies together. The town of Waterloo is a student friendly place, affordable food options, and parks nearby, mostly, everything is at a walking distance from campus, if not our bus ride is also free in Waterloo.
Likes
- Academics and overall environment is great.
- Finding a job here depends on one's own merit and is not very dependent on school.
- The coop programs are really good in terms of the experience they offer.
Dislikes
- Getting a coop / full time job is not that easy, the university helps with the co op program through the waterlooworks portal but not that much for full time jobs
- Waterloo being far from Toronto has a slight location disadvantage.
Accommodation
700 cad per month.
I chose this university as the coop program was a plus since it helps to gain relevant Canadian experience and helps in recovering some fees. Overall the experience is good, it's what you make of it. There is a lot to learn, experiences to have. This degree can change the way you think.
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