From Dorms to Doors: Understanding Your Rights as a Student Tenant

It’s hard enough to find a place to live without having to think about the sky-high cost of rent and the quality of available living spaces, along with the basic cost of living – there are other considerations too, like what extras a landlord can and can’t charge for; what your responsibilities are, and what rights you have in the room, apartment, or house that you live in and pay for. 

The fact is, students often have many questions about dealing with landlords and property management companies, about what’s right or wrong and what is and is not allowed in rental or lease agreements, or how much is too much to pay for certain services, repairs, and extras, or if they even legally need to pay at all.

You can learn more about your rights as a tenant by checking out our Housing Playbook and by keeping an eye on wusa.ca/events and our social media, @yourwusa, for more information on the next WRCLS Tenacy Legal Session! 

Throughout the month of March, the Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association hosted a series of Student Tenancy Legal Sessions to provide guidance and support to undergraduate students at the University of Waterloo who are navigating housing on their own. 

These sessions included two virtual information sessions and one in-person booth at the Student Life Centre. The online sessions were led by Angie Pham, Community Development Worker, and the in-person booth was led by Angie Pham alongside Tanesha Farquharson. 

Students had the opportunity to learn about common concerns faced by student tenants and participate in open Q&A discussions focused on their rights and legal options when it comes to housing. Topics included rent increases, tenancy rights, evictions, the Residential Tenancies Act, and the basics of lease agreements and terms. 

Attendees also had the opportunity to sign up for a free 30-minute private one-on-one consultation with a qualified lawyer to discuss any personal concerns related to their tenancy and/or landlord. 

These sessions were designed to provide accessible, practical legal information and help students feel more confident making informed decisions about their housing.

Alexandra Minard

Communications Assistant