Student-run guide · not an official UofT website Temerty Faculty of Medicine ↗ MD Program ↗
Independent student guide · Published May 2026 · Reviewed August 2026 I maintain this guide as an unpaid, independent volunteer project. It reflects my experience as a U of T medical student and information reviewed for the Class of 3T0. It is not an official University of Toronto or Temerty Faculty of Medicine website. Details can change, so confirm requirements, dates and policies through the official sources linked on this page.
Section 02 · Housing

Find a place that works
for your actual week.

If you’re figuring out where to live, start with your academy placement and the official residence options available to you. The map can then help you compare neighbourhoods, buildings and realistic commute times. Rent ranges and student notes are there to give you a sense of your options, not to act as live listings.

Anchor point Downtown estimates use the Medical Sciences Building (MSB), 1 King's College Circle. Open the route in Google Maps before signing.
MAM students If you've been placed at the Mississauga Academy of Medicine, your housing math is different. Confirm your placement before signing downtown.
Before You Tour Anything

Three decisions make the rest easier.

You do not need a perfect housing plan before you browse. You do need a realistic academy, commute, and living-arrangement filter.

01

Which academy?

For 3T0, the St. George academies are based downtown and MAM is based at UTM. Confirm your placement before committing to a location.

Start here: downtown map for St. George, UTM housing and transit for MAM.

02

Walk, transit, or drive?

Test the route for an early weekday arrival, not a quiet Sunday afternoon. Include the walk to transit, transfers, and a winter buffer.

Use a range: the map estimates are planning guides, not promises.

03

Solo or roommates?

Living alone, sharing with classmates, staying with family, and commuting are all common. Compare total monthly cost—not rent alone.

Count everything: utilities, insurance, parking, transit, furnishings, and moving costs.

Official information comes first. Residence eligibility, application dates, fees, and availability can change. Check the Faculty's Housing & Residence page before acting on any summary here.
Residence

Residence options for medical students

U of T has several residence options, but they work differently and not every option is available to every medical student. Graduate House reserves spaces for incoming MD students, Schreiberwood is available to eligible MAM students, Massey has its own fellowship process and Knox is accessed through the St. George residence waitlist. Check the current eligibility, deadlines and fees before applying.

Graduate House

St. George · MD recruitment spaces · Faculty email + StarRez

Knox Residence

St. George · traditional residence · StarRez preference

Massey College

St. George · Junior Fellowship · separate application

Schreiberwood

UTM · eligible MAM students · UTM Grad/Med application

UofT Housing. central application

Graduate House

60 Harbord Street · roughly 12–15 min walk to MSB Conservative planning estimate

UofT's graduate and second-entry professional residence at Harbord and Spadina. Units are furnished and the published fees include electricity, water, heat, air conditioning, and internet.

  • Best for: students who want their own space, quiet study environment, and don't want to deal with roommates or rental search
  • Watch out: oversubscribed every year. only 25 spaces reserved for incoming first-year MD students on a first-come, first-served basis
  • MD-specific process: email medicine.admiss@utoronto.ca to indicate your interest by June 1, 2026. Then submit a Graduate Residences application through the StarRez Portal. Offers sent by June 15, 2026.
  • Questions: information.gradhouse@utoronto.ca
Graduate House ↗

UofT residence · StarRez preference

Knox College Residence

59 St. George Street · roughly 10–12 min walk to MSB Conservative planning estimate

A traditional dorm-style UofT residence on St. George Street. It houses students from across UofT, with most residents currently in first year. Furnished single and double rooms are available and utilities are included.

  • Best for: students who want an on-campus community and are comfortable with a conventional residence setup
  • Watch out: this is primarily an undergraduate residence, not an MD-designated option like the Graduate House recruitment spaces
  • How to apply: through the St. George residence waitlist in StarRez; select Knox as a preference
Knox Residence ↗

Graduate residential college. competitive fellowship

Massey College

4 Devonshire Place · roughly 14–17 min walk to MSB Conservative planning estimate

A graduate residential college at UofT. Resident Junior Fellows are selected through a separate application that considers academic achievement, work and community experience, and participation. The 2026 application deadline was April 30, so future applicants should check early.

  • Best for: students who want intellectual community, formal dinners, and engagement beyond medicine
  • Watch out: separate, competitive application, not a fallback for "I missed Graduate House"; apply early if interested
  • How to apply: through Massey College's Junior Fellows admissions, separate from UofT Housing
Massey College Junior Fellows ↗

UTM on-campus housing. MAM students

Schreiberwood Graduate & Medical Housing

UTM Campus, Mississauga · on campus

UTM's on-campus residence for graduate and medical students, available to those in the MAM, BMC, and MScOT programs. Bachelor units come in two sizes: small (shared bathroom) and large (private bathroom). Utilities and internet are included in the rate, and a laundry card is provided on move-in.

  • 2026–27 medical rates: $12,856 total for a small bachelor with shared bathroom; $13,512 for a large bachelor with private bathroom. Utilities and internet are included
  • Best for: MAM students who want the simplest possible commute to UTM and all-inclusive pricing
  • 2026 dates for new applicants: application opened May 13, closed June 12, and offers were sent June 23. These dates change each cycle
  • Watch out: waitlist-based; $350 non-refundable application fee
  • How to apply: via StarRez at residence.utoronto.ca using your UTORid
UTM Graduate & Medical Housing ↗
Where to verify: the Faculty maintains an official housing & residence page with current application timelines, costs, and additional options. Always cross-check rates and deadlines there before deciding.
The Interactive Map

Compare neighbourhoods, buildings and commute options.

Use the map to compare location, neighbourhood, and nearby essentials. Click a pin or list item for a fuller snapshot. The gold pin is MSB, the downtown reference point.

How to use the map: commute figures are conservative planning estimates reviewed in Google Maps in July 2026, not live guarantees. Routes vary by entrance, weather, construction and time of day. Official residence details include a direct source link. Other buildings remain candidate addresses only until a reliable management source is attached; their legacy rent, amenity and neighbourhood commentary has been removed. Confirm the exact address and route in Google Maps, then verify the current unit listing before deciding.
Show on map
Filter by neighborhood
Housing options
Select a building from the list or click a pin on the map.

Compare your shortlist.

Add a building from its map details or choose two below. The comparison stays attached to the map instead of becoming another full section.

Pick two or three buildings.

Building A
Building B
Building C (optional)
Commuter Planning

Not everyone moves downtown.

Living with family, a partner, or outside the core can be the right financial or personal choice. Test the complete door-to-door trip before you decide—not just the time shown between transit stations.

Run the weekday test

Check the route for the time you would actually leave. Add the walk to the stop, wait time, transfers, and ten to fifteen minutes of buffer. Repeat the search for the trip home.

Price the full commute

Compare monthly transit or parking, fuel, occasional rideshares, and the value of time against the rent you would save. The cheaper address is not always the cheaper week.

Plan for winter and late days

Ask what the route looks like in poor weather and after an evening activity. If one missed connection makes the plan fall apart, build in a backup before the semester starts.

Keep both campuses in view

MAM students are based at UTM, while some program-wide activities may occur downtown. St. George students may also travel elsewhere. Choose for the routine week, then understand the occasional longer trip.

These are planning prompts, not official scheduling guidance. Confirm locations in MedSIS and course communications.

Tenant Rights & Documents

Renting and tenant rights

If you are renting privately, it is worth knowing which rules apply before you sign a lease. Most rentals in Ontario are covered by the Residential Tenancies Act, but there are important exceptions, including many university residences and some situations where you share a kitchen or bathroom with the owner or their immediate family. Use the official resources below to confirm what applies to your rental.

Official Ontario guidance

For most private rentals, the landlord must use Ontario's standard lease. A lease cannot remove a right or responsibility in the Act. If you are unsure whether the Act applies, use Landlord and Tenant Board guidance or seek legal advice.

Not legal advice

This student guide explains what you may encounter. It does not decide whether a term is lawful or what you should do in a dispute.

Rent increases are capped

For most covered tenancies, rent can generally increase only once every 12 months and requires at least 90 days' written notice. Some units first occupied for residential purposes after November 15, 2018 are exempt from the provincial guideline.

Check the current Ontario guideline and exemptions rather than assuming every unit is capped.

Ontario: residential rent increases

Deposits have specific rules

A landlord may require a rent deposit no greater than one rent period or one month, whichever is less. It must be used for the last rent period—not damage. A refundable key deposit may be allowed if it is no more than the expected replacement cost.

Do not confuse the rent deposit with first month's rent, which becomes due under the tenancy agreement.

Residential Tenancies Act, ss. 105–107
O. Reg. 516/06, s. 17: refundable key deposits

A notice is not an eviction order

A landlord must use the applicable notice and, if the tenant does not leave, apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board. Only the Sheriff can enforce an LTB eviction order.

Do not ignore a notice. Read the form, note every deadline, and get advice promptly.

LTB: how a landlord can end a tenancy

Roommate, occupant, sublet, and assignment differ

Your rights and obligations depend on the agreement and who is named as tenant. A sublet and an assignment are not interchangeable, and both normally require the landlord's consent under the Act.

Put the arrangement in writing and use official guidance before money changes hands.

LTB: assignment and subletting guidance
Forms You May Encounter

One compact document guide.

Select a document to see what it does, when it appears, and where the authoritative information lives.

Official Ontario form

Ontario standard lease

Most landlords of private residential units must use this tenancy agreement. It records the parties, unit, rent, included services, deposit, term, and additional terms. A term cannot take away a right under the Residential Tenancies Act.

Read every added term and keep a completed copy.

Open the official blank form ↗
Tenant insurance. A landlord may make proof of insurance a lease requirement. Compare coverage for belongings, personal liability, and additional living expenses; confirm limits and exclusions directly with the insurer. Pricing varies by address, coverage, deductible, and provider.
Before You Sign

Things students wish they'd known.

Start early, but do not let urgency replace verification.
Residence deadlines can arrive well before September, while private listings appear on their own timelines. Set alerts once your academy and budget are clear, and keep checking official residence dates separately.
Verify the person, property, and paperwork.
Tour the exact unit live, verify a real estate agent or brokerage through RECO when one is involved, read the agreement, and make sure payment instructions match the documented party. Pressure and inconsistent details are reasons to pause.
Compare total monthly cost.
Record what rent includes: heat, water, electricity, internet, parking, laundry, furnishings, and tenant insurance. “All-inclusive” can be convenient, but the agreement should say exactly what is included.
Photograph condition at move-in.
Walk through the unit, record existing damage, test essential fixtures, and send the dated record to the landlord or property manager. Keep the lease, receipts, inspection notes, and repair messages together.
A note on extra rent offered in advance. Ontario limits the rent deposit a landlord can require. Whether a prospective tenant may voluntarily offer prepaid rent is a different legal question and depends on the facts. This guide does not tell you to make or accept that arrangement. If it comes up, get independent advice before signing or transferring money.
Official MD housing page ↗ Ontario renter rights ↗ Verify an agent or brokerage ↗