NO COSIGNER, NO LUCK, AND DEFINITELY NO AC
Welcome to the first instalment of Borderline Legal, a column about the realities of international student life. Every week, I’ll tackle a new issue that we international students run into, and look at how the law makes things easier, harder, or even more confusing.
Let’s talk housing. “Student housing” on its own is already a punchline: overpriced, falling apart, and usually one mystery pest infestation away from unlivable. Add “in Ottawa” to the mix, and you’re paying both arms and legs to live in a house that should’ve been demolished decades ago. If you’re even more special, and happen to be an international student, the universe rewards you with an extra layer of fun!
In Ottawa, most students end up in one of three living situations: an on-campus residence with little to no breathing room, an overpriced student apartment with shiny marketing and paper-thin walls, or a rented room in an old house turned summer sauna. The options seem less-than-ideal in general, but if you factor in landlords who want a Canadian cosigner, affordable student housing in Ottawa feels like a pipe dream for international students.
The cosigner requirement is one of the most frustrating parts of the housing hunt. If I finally find a place in my price range that isn’t actively falling apart, the last thing I’d want to be told is that I need a Canadian resident to guarantee my rent.
I get why landlords want the extra security; renting to someone without local ties feels riskier, and legal recourse for someone defaulting on their rent becomes more difficult without a cosigner listed. But in practice, this demand hits international students the hardest. (Because clearly the first thing you pack in your suitcase—right after your winter boots—is a Canadian uncle to guarantee your rent.)
What happens is international students are either shut out entirely or asked to cough up several months of rent in advance, which is not technically legal under Ontario law but seems to happen anyways. This creates a hierarchy: students with family connections or money can find a good place, while everyone else keeps cycling through short-term sublets, exploitative arrangements, or straight-up scams.
I should admit, though, that I’ve got it easier than most. I do have a Canadian cosigner, and as an American, I don’t run into the same language barriers and overt racism that many other international students at the U of O face. But even with that advantage, I’ve experienced first-hand how quickly “finding an apartment” turns into a crash course in tenant law, immigration status, and survival tactics.
Maybe the bright side is that surviving this gauntlet teaches us the tenant law, credit systems, and negotiation skills that no textbook can. Or at least that’s what I tell myself while I sweat buckets in my bedroom writing this.
Stay tuned for next week’s Borderline Legal installment, where I’ll talk through Ontario’s rental scams and how to spot one. And in the meantime, congratulations on moving in! May your roommates be sane, the plumbing work, and your landlord merciful.
