# George Brown student housing: The George, Parkside, and off-campus rent

What housing costs for George Brown Polytechnic students in 2026. The George residence rates and payment plans, the affiliated Parkside option, and what off-campus rent looks like near each campus.

---

Housing is the biggest cost most George Brown students face outside tuition, and in Toronto it is the one that decides whether your budget holds. George Brown has its own residence, an affiliated partner residence, and a housing office that helps with everything else. This guide covers what each costs, how the application works, and what off-campus rent looks like near each campus in 2026.

## The George: the college's own residence

The George sits at 80 Cooperage Street, next to the Distillery District. It is a short walk to classes at St. James and Waterfront, and under 40 minutes by transit to Casa Loma. A TTC streetcar stops in front of the building.

Rooms are furnished two-bedroom suites with a kitchenette and a three-piece bathroom. The kitchenette has a full-sized fridge, a microwave, a sink with preparation space and a table for two, which matters because there are no meal plans. Wi-Fi, cable TV, a phone with local calling and all utilities are included, and the bathroom and kitchenette get a professional cleaning every two weeks. Community kitchens with full-sized stoves are distributed through the building, and cooking appliances with an automatic shutoff and no open element are allowed, so rice cookers, toaster ovens and induction hot plates all pass.

Rates for the 2026-27 academic year, September 5 to April 24, include everything above:

| Payment option | Amounts |
|---|---|
| One payment | $11,556.88 due June 08, 2026 |
| Two payments | $7,009.88 due June 08, then $4,672.00 due November 09, 2026 |
| Three payments | $4,692.75 due June 08, $4,692.75 due September 21, then $2,346.38 due January 18, 2027 |

The two- and three-payment options carry a $125 and $175 administration fee respectively, which is why the single payment is cheaper. The three-payment plan works out to about $1,445 a month over the eight months of the academic year.

Winter 2027 applications open October 13, 2026. A new application is required for every term, including if you live there all year and want to stay for the summer.

## Applying to The George

Applications are first-come, first-served and go through the My Housing Portal. A non-refundable **$100 application fee** has to be included, or the application counts as incomplete and is not considered. You can apply before you are accepted into your program, since residence and college applications are separate; if you are not accepted into your program you have to cancel the residence application yourself by the deadline, and declining your college offer does not cancel your residence application.

Acceptance emails for the academic year go out in April, and after that applicants hear back every 10 business days. Once you are accepted you complete your contact, health, payment and emergency details online, plus a personality profile used for roommate matching. Pay by the date in your acceptance email or your spot can go to the next student on the waitlist.

One thing to know early: The George does not accept promissory notes from students planning to pay residence fees out of an OSAP loan. You have to arrange the payment before the due dates. If your funding lands late, talk to the Residence Manager about it before the deadline rather than after.

The front desk is staffed 24 hours a day, security is on site, and pets are not permitted. Residence fees cannot be claimed on an income tax return; the Ontario government allows a flat $25 with no receipt.

## Parkside Student Residence

Through an affiliated partnership, students who apply for residence may also be offered a placement at Parkside, a well-established downtown building with furnished suites and a dining program. If The George is full, this is where the waitlist can land you. Check the rates and the commute before you accept, because a dining program costs more than cooking in a kitchenette.

## Off campus: what rent looks like

Most George Brown students live off campus, and Toronto rents are high enough that your choice of neighbourhood moves your budget by hundreds of dollars a month. Realistic 2026 figures:

| Option | Monthly cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Room in a shared apartment | $900 to $1,300 | The cheapest way to live downtown. |
| Shared two-bedroom, your share | $1,100 to $1,500 | Usually beats a solo one-bedroom on cost. |
| Studio | $1,800 to $2,300 | Cheapest solo option, in short supply. |
| One-bedroom | $2,000 to $2,600 | Downtown core and near subway lines sit at the top. |

Two things move the number more than anything else. Sharing brings it down, and looking outside the downtown core brings it down further. Apartments near subway stations are the most expensive in the city, so a place a bus ride from a station costs noticeably less and can still be a reasonable commute to all three campuses.

Watch what the rent includes. Some apartments bundle heat, hydro and water; others bill them separately, and a $200 monthly difference on utilities turns a cheap-looking rent into an expensive one. If the building has no laundry you are paying laundromat prices on top. Confirm the pet policy with the landlord before you apply, because some buildings refuse them.

A workable rule: keep rent at or below 30 to 40 percent of what you have coming in each month. Toronto makes that hard, and it is the reason sharing is so common.

## The college's housing help

The Student Life and Residence Life teams run the housing office, which keeps an apartment-hunting guide and a checklist of what to look for at a viewing. They can also help when something goes wrong. Racism and sexual harassment and violence are not tolerated, and the Student Success team is there if you need help with a housing arrangement. Stop by the Welcome Desk at any campus.

Before you sign anything, work through what you can afford for rent on top of utilities, insurance, groceries, transit, school supplies and the rest. If paying for school is what squeezes the budget, the financial aid office and the awards program are the places to start, and OSAP exists to cover this gap.

## The bottom line

The George costs $11,556.88 for the 2026-27 academic year if you pay in one piece, or about $1,445 a month spread over three payments with fees added. A shared apartment off campus usually costs about the same or more in downtown Toronto, and a studio costs considerably more. Apply to residence as soon as you can, since applications are first-come first-served, and read the payment deadlines carefully, because OSAP cannot be used as a promissory note to hold your room.

## Sources

- [Student Residence, The George](https://www.georgebrown.ca/residence/)
- [Residence rates and payment options](https://www.georgebrown.ca/node/42676)
- [Residence FAQ](https://www.georgebrown.ca/current-students/services/residence/faq)
- [Housing information](https://www.georgebrown.ca/current-students/services/housing)
- [City of Toronto average market rents](https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/community-partners/social-housing-providers/affordable-housing-operators/current-city-of-toronto-average-market-rents-and-utility-allowances/)

For more on making your money work at George Brown, see our guides to [your first week](/universities/george-brown-polytechnic/first-week-george-brown-polytechnic/) and [eating cheap on campus](/universities/george-brown-polytechnic/cheapest-food-on-campus-george-brown-polytechnic/).