Accommodation

Both long and short term accomodation is available to planning students who are new to the Halifax area. The information below will tell you where to look for housing and approximately how much to expect to pay for rent.

If you need temporary accommodation near the campus while you're getting settled, several of options are available. Call one of the following:

• Dalhousie Residence closest to the Architecture building:
  (902) 494-2075
  
• Main Dalhousie University Residence:
  (902) 494-8840
  
• St Mary's University Residence:
  (902) 420-5591
  
• Halifax International Hostel:
  (902) 422-3863
  

Dalhousie's Housing and Conference Service handles on-campus housing. The accommodations office is in Fenwick Place, 5599 Fenwick St., and it is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Inquiries may be made 24 hours a day. Contact points are:

• www: http://www.ancillaries.dal.ca/default.asp?mn=1.8
• email: resoffice.fenwick@dal.ca
  
• phone: (902) 494-2075
  
• fax: (902) 494-2212
  

There are two Dalhousie residences located at Barrington and Morris Streets - a three-minute walk from the Architecture building. They are available to students all year round (including academic terms and work terms), and also offer accommodation for visitors during the summer term. M.M. O'Brien Hall is a co-ed residence with furnished rooms in a security building. It includes a mandatory meal plan, laundry facilities, kitchenettes, a TV lounge, a games room, and cable TV hookup. Ethernet computer connections are also available at additional cost. The Grad House is a quiet house for graduate students in a security building with furnished rooms, a full kitchen, an optional meal plan, and access to laundry facilities in O'Brien Hall.

With six universities in Halifax, student accommodation is plentiful. However, selection near the school is much better in June and July. If you wait until late August or September, you will probably be limited to locations that are not near the school. Before you arrive, pick up a map of Halifax in the travel section of your local bookstore and concentrate on the south end of Halifax. Online classified ads are available at

The Chronicle Herald newspaper
and
Dalhousie's Off-Campus Housing Office

Dalhousie's Off-Campus Housing Office is in Room 407, Student Union Building, 6136 University Avenue (902-494-3831). They also have a website that will do searches for you. Listings are also available at St. Mary's University (420-5591). Check university bulletin boards, too. At the end of July, some students leave for their work term, and may want to sublet their place. You may contact the Architecture office (902-494-3971) for info on sublets.

Rents in Halifax are expensive for the Maritimes. Expect to pay $350 to $500 for a bachelor, $400 to $600 for a 1-bedroom, $600 to $800 for a 2-bedroom, or $900 to $1,250 for a house. Damage deposits are usually a half-month's rent. Prices usually do not include heat or electricity, so try to negotiate them into your rent. Most South End houses are older and could land you with huge heating bills. A one-year lease is standard for most places.

Parking is scarce in central Halifax although easier to find in than some larger metropolitan areas. If you bring a car, try to find accommodation with a parking space. Otherwise, renting a parking space nearby may cost you $65 to $100 a month. Parking is not available at university residences. Biking is a good alternative.

Halifax has many second-hand stores, and there are plenty of flea markets during the summer and fall. Some students who sublet their rooms or apartments while on work term will leave their furniture.

Revised 15 March 2006