The Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) has developed a new Housing 101 guide, aimed at helping students make informed decisions when renting in Ottawa.
In collaboration with CUSA’s Think Tank, the guide outlines landlord rights and responsibilities, legal resources, in-depth neighbourhood data tables and general tips for new renters.
In CUSA’s advocacy roadmap released in October 2024, housing was highlighted as a top concern for students.
“It was probably one of our most important advocacy priorities,” said Ana Clara Miranda Guimaraes, associate vice-president (research) and team lead of the Think Tank.
“Obviously Carleton University has resources … but we didn’t find something as extensive as Housing 101.”
The guide breaks down lengthy legal renting terms and laws like those in Ontario’s Residential Tenancies Act. It also provides an extensive list of free city resources and legal contacts for students to consult, like Ottawa Community Housing and CUSA’s same-day legal clinic in partnership with the University of Ottawa.
Guimaraes said explaining the legality of renting is crucial since leases and other legal documents are often inaccessible and difficult to read for students. She added it was important for legal terminology to be simplified and translated into “student language.”
The guide also includes two data tables, which highlight average commute times to campus and the average percentage of rent as a budgeted expense in different Ottawa neighbourhoods.
Aidan Kallioinen, CUSA associate vice-president (government affairs) said his role was to take on government research and create these data tables.
Through his research, he said he noticed the bulk of students’ renting decisions were based on neighbourhood’s walkability, public transit frequency and how expensive they are.
Old Ottawa South, the neighborhood north-east of Carleton’s campus, had an average commute time of 15 minutes, while Lowertown East, which includes the ByWard Market, was upwards of an hour for transit and walking.
As well, Old Ottawa East and Sandy Hill, which lie parallel with the Rideau River, had some of the highest rent costs taking over 40 per cent of a tenants budget.
He added the tables were a unique addition specific to Ottawa and Carleton which he didn’t find in other university guides.
“We know students are limited in the areas in the city they can live, especially if they don’t have a car,” he said.
Using Open Ottawa, a public data and mapping website, Kallioinen said he calculated the walking, driving and transit time to campus for 15 Ottawa neighbourhoods. He cautioned that the data is not a “perfect scientific method,” but gives a rough estimate of different neighbourhoods’ affordability and accessibility to campus.
“We really treated the guide like, ‘So this is the first time renting in your life,’” Kallioinen said.
The guide also features sections dedicated to finding second-hand furniture and food banks, as well as general tips like the importance of attaining tenant insurance and documenting the condition of a unit before moving in.
Artur Estrela da Silva, vice-president (student issues), said the guide is an ideal method for students to access digestible renting information.
He added the CUSA Think Tank, made up of six student volunteer researchers, led most of the efforts in fleshing out the data and filling in important information.
After the advocacy team outlined a rough skeleton of what was necessary to include, the volunteers found and compiled most of the resources.
Estrela da Silva said they were the “stars of the project,” and when the first draft rolled around, he said he saw “just how fruitful [they] could be for the Carleton community.”
This is Think Tank’s second initiative following CUSA’s Welcome Guide: Top tips for international students was released in August 2024.
Featured graphic by Alisha Velji.
