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Thompson Rivers University
Thompson Rivers University

Student Housing FAQ

When can I apply to live in residence?

We plan to be ready to open applications in February for the upcoming academic year. Housing applications must be submitted online. See our Residences page for more information.

Who is eligible to live in residence?

To be eligible, you must be a full-time student enrolled in courses at Thompson Rivers University. Full time Open Learning students do not qualify. Note that meeting eligibility requirements does not guarantee a residence offer.

Should I apply to more than one TRU Residence building?

Please do not apply to more than one TRU Residence building. Please only apply to the building you would like to live in. Applying to multiple buildings does not increase your chances of being accepted into Residence; applying to multiple buildings creates extra steps for our Housing Team, and can lengthen your wait time to receive your acceptance/waitlist status. Please refer to the waitlists tab for information regarding how the waitlist works.

Who gets priority to live in residence?

Priority access is given to students who meet the following criteria:

  • You are eligible to live in residence based on academic credit load.
  • You are a first-year student who has created a housing application prior to the first-year guarantee deadline of March 31, 2024.
  • You are looking for a housing contract for the entire 2024-25 (September-April) academic year.

Additional criteria:

  • You are a student who identifies as Indigenous.
  • You are a student who was a former youth in care.
  • You are a student with mobility, functional and/or ongoing medical condition that significantly impacts your housing needs and is registered with Accessibility Services.

How are residence offers sent?

All residence offers are sent to the email address provided on your housing application. If you applied for more than one residence, please ensure you are checking all email addresses you used for the respective applications.

What if I don’t respond to the offer by the deadline?

We will send you reminder emails after you first receive acceptance prompting you to complete the necessary steps. Failure to complete these steps without response will result in a cancellation of your acceptance. If your offer has been cancelled, please contact the Housing Administrator ASAP via email at admin@truresidence.ca.

How can I pay fees?

Payment options vary per building and cannot be accepted over the phone. See the payment tab available for each building:

What happens if I cannot make the payment deadline?

If you require an alternative payment schedule, or are a sponsored student, we ask that you reach out to the residence you applied to for support.

Can first year students request a roommate?

All students who have been accepted and whose accounts are up to date will be placed into the roommate matching process later in the summer to meet potential future roommates. Potential roommates must have been accepted into the same room type and be of the same gender to be visible to one another in the roommate portal. You will have to confirm your roommate selection(s) in this portal to be placed with this person.

Any other questions or concerns about roommate placements should be directed to the Housing Administrator via email admin@truresidence.ca.

Can I contact my roommate(s) before moving in?

If you did not meet anyone in the roommate portal, you will be assigned a roommate by our housing administrator based on the answers you provided in your housing profile. Contact information of roommate(s) will be emailed out and accessible via the Student Housing Portal.

When can I move into residence?

First-year international students only can move in Aug. 27, 2024. Move-in day for all other students is Aug. 31 or Sept. 1, 2024. More information regarding move-in day will be sent to accepted students via email later in the summer.

Can I move in early?

If you require an early move-in, please contact our Housing Administrator ASAP via email admin@truresidence.ca to make arrangements. Early move-in is not guaranteed and may be subject to early move-in fees.

Does residence offer apartment style housing?

East Village offers a limited number of two- and three-bedroom apartment style units. Priority is given to upper-year students and families for apartment style suites.

Does residence offer family housing?

East Village offers a limited number of two and three bedroom apartment style units. Please contact East Village directly for more information.

Does residence offer gender inclusive housing?

Students living at McGill Residence can select "Gender Inclusive Housing" as a roommate option.

Residence is committed to offering gender inclusive housing options that help to ensure inclusive communities that respect all students’ rights to self-identify gender.

Mixed-gender housing options are available to allow students to room with their ideal roommate, regardless of sex or gender.

The residence offers two options:

  • Single-gender housing: Having roommates who all self-identify as the same gender (male, female, neutral or other).
  • Mixed-gender housing: Having roommates who self-identify as any gender (i.e. gender is not a factor for roommate matching).

Does TRU Housing cover damages to my personal property?

No, TRU Housing's insurance coverage is for the physical structure of the buildings (walls, roof, flooring) and components (fridges, stoves) only. The university is not responsible for lost, stolen or damaged person property, regardless of the cause. All residents staying in TRU Housing are required to have property and liability insurance coverage for the duration of their housing contract. Thompson Rivers University, Housing Services, and Marsh Canada Ltd. have partnered to operate our mandatory property and liability insurance coverage program, ensuring that all residents and the university are protected. Learn more about the Student Property and Liability Insurance Program .

What if someone calls the main office to get in touch with me?

In accordance with BC’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, all information regarding residents is kept private. We will only communicate information to the resident themselves.

Who do I contact about lost or stolen keys?

If you left your keys in your room: visit your building’s front desk. Note that you may be subject to a lock-out fee.

If have lost your keys, please contact your building’s front desk ASAP to arrange a new replacement key. Note that you may be subject to a lost key charge. At some buildings, lost keys may require a locksmith to change the locks on suites and/or stairwells, which may result in addition fees to the resident to cover the cost.

What if there is a conflict with my roommate in residence?

We encourage residents to complete roommate agreements at the beginning of each semester, as well as with the addition of any new roommates. Any conflicts or concerns can be reported to residence life staff, who will investigate the issue and facilitate the appropriate actions.

Who do I contact to report concerns in residence?

If you have a concern in residence, please contact the front desk, or the residence life staff to address concerns such as maintenance and other housekeeping issues.

What happens during the winter break?

Both campus and residence services are limited over the winter break, so we strongly encourage students to arrange alternative accommodations. A winter break request form will be sent out in November 2024, so those who are unable to leave residence for the break may put in a request for winter housing. These requests are not guaranteed and are subject to additional fees to cover staffing and any programming over the break.

When is the deadline to move out of residence?

The deadline to move out at the end of the fall semester is Dec. 15, 2024. The deadline to move-out for the end of the 2024-2025 academic year is April 24, 2025. Late move-out requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and will be subject to additional fees for days stayed. This information can also be found in your building’s respective building’s Student Residence Agreement (SRA).

What is the policy for cancelling a residence contract?

The polices around cancellation our outlined in the Student Residence Agreement (SRA). You will need to complete a cancellation request form and send it to residence management. Please refer to your building’s SRA for more information.

Before moving-in, please pay close attention to the Cancellations and Refunds portion of the cancellation policy. This information can be found in the SRA, as well as under the Rates section on each residence’s page.

I was involved in an incident in residence — what will happen next?

Incident reports are written when a suspected violation of the community living standards occurs. If a residence life coordinator reaches out to you to discuss an incident, you will be provided an opportunity to share you perspective. The goal of this meeting is to educate the resident when violations occur to minimize impact on the community and increase awareness of expectations within residence?

What happens if a decision is made about an incident and I do not agree with it?

Every resident has the right to submit an appeal (within 72 hours) of receiving a decision letter. A resident must indicate the reason for appeal (bias, procedural fairness or new information) and provide additional information to support the appeal request.

If this is an eviction appeal: The appeal will be delivered to the director of ancillary services. If the appeal is granted the director will enact the evictions appeal committee. The eviction appeal committee must have a student and a member of residence senior management. For more information on the appeals process please review the Residence Community Living Standards.

How long to receive my refund after move out?

After moving out it takes 6-8 weeks to receive your refund cheque. Ensure your address has been updated upon moving out. Please note the $100 application fee is non-refundable.

Does residence offer apartment style housing?

East Village offers a limited number of two- and three-bedroom apartment style units. Priority is given to upper-year students and families for apartment style suites.

Does residence offer family housing?

East Village offers a limited number of two and three bedroom apartment style units. Please contact East Village directly for more information.

What are my chances of being accepted into Residence from the waitlist?

Although there is no guarantee, your chances of being accepted from the waitlist are high. The earlier you apply the better your chances. In previous years all students who applied for the waitlist during the summer did receive an offer for a space in one of our buildings by the end of the summer.

How does the waitlist work?

We will reach out to you in the order in which you applied as spaces become available. If there are spaces available in an alternate building than what you originally applied for, you will be contacted and offered an alternative space.

How is my waitlist number determined?

Each building at TRU Housing maintains its own waitlist (North Tower, McGill Residence, East Village, Dalgleish – Coyote Den and West Gate Dormitories). Your waitlist number is determined by the date your application fee was received.

What should I expect if accepted?

If a space opens up at one of our residences, it will be offered to the next student on the waitlist. Your offer may not be to the building that was your first choice. You will be given 72 hours to either confirm your acceptance or decide to remain on the waitlist. We recommend that you take some time to review the rates and room types at each of our residences in advance so that you know which ones you’d be willing to accept. Questions about North Tower, East Village, and McGill and West Gate can be directed to each of their front desk teams.

If accepted, how soon will I be expected to make a payment?

You will be expected to make your first residence fees payment within the 72-hour window given to you to confirm your acceptance. We recommend having your funds ready so that you don’t forfeit your spot. Please do not make a payment until we’ve offered you a space. Customized payment plans are available if you need a few more weeks, but we cannot hold a space for you without a minimum payment or proof of payment of $1,000 within the 72-hour window after you’ve been offered a space.

What If I no longer require residence?

If you have made other plans, please cancel your application via the Student Housing Portal so that we know you no longer need to be on the waitlist or receive regular waitlist updates.

What if my roommate or I test positive for COVID-19?

If you or someone you live with tests positive for COVID-19 or are faced with similar symptoms, please visit our Communicable Disease Prevention page for guidance on next steps.

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