We’re here for students, landlords and residents of Niagara. We are committed to educating students, providing resources and supporting them while they live off-campus. We work hand in hand with students, landlords, residents and community partners to ensure all expectations of being a contributing member of our community are being met.
Explore our pages to find educational material, resources and advice for living off-campus in Niagara.
What We Do
Through our comprehensive Off-Campus Living listing site you can find rooms, houses or apartments for rent; find or post sublets; or even find or post for housemates. Our service is completely free for Brock students!
Off-Campus Living is here to help with lots of great resources for students and landlords – from finding accommodation, to making sure you’re equipped with the tools to understand tenancy laws and stay involved on campus.
Get started on www.brockocl.ca to view listings now. Visit our Finding Housing page to learn more!
We have also partnered with SpacesShared to bring more housing options to students! Visit our Finding Housing page, or SpacesShared website to learn more!
The Off-Campus Living Dispute Resolution service provides free and confidential mediation services to Brock University students. The service is focused on helping students and their landlord, neighbours or roommates come to a resolution with the help of a neutral, Brock staff member. It is available to any student registered with Brock University. This is a voluntary program that does not waive the participant’s legal rights.
Common issues that this service resolves include:
- Roommate conflict
- Landlord/tenant disagreements
- Property issues (appearance, living condition)
- Noise complaints
This service does not provide legal advice or take sides with one participant over the other. It is also not an alternative to police involvement. Generally, we will not intervene in a dispute unless both parties have attempted to come to a resolution on their own already.
If you are having difficulties with your landlord:
- Attempt to come to a resolution with the other party and establish timeframes when appropriate
- Document your concerns, including detailed notes, communication logs and photographs
- Follow-up with the other party if the matter has not been resolved within the identified time frame
- If the situation continues to be unresolved, contact ocl@brocku.ca to discuss a referral to the Off-Campus Living Dispute Resolution service
We work with Town and Gown committees, municipalities and landlords to ensure the needs of our community and our students are met. Please see our Neighborhood Relations and Resources for Landlords pages for more information.
Off-Campus Living is here to help. From finding accommodation, to making sure you’re equipped with the tools to understand tenancy laws and stay involved on campus.
Our monthly newsletter contains information about the rental market, local events and also important reminders and announcements for students living off-campus.
Make an appointment with our Off-Campus Living Coordinator or explore our other webpages for lots of great information – from fire safety tips to helping you get involved in campus life while living off-campus.
Additional Resources
Personal Counselling provides students with counselling services for those experiencing emotional, social and mental health difficulties.
This is a neutral party who advocates for fair policies, procedures, practices and decision-making on campus. They are a safe space to voice concerns and gather information on available options as they are not required to notify University administrators, being an informal channel of resolution.
Student Justice Centre
The Student Justice Centre seeks to educate the student body about racism, sexism, homophobia, and other forms of prejudice, while advocating for equity through campaigns, programming and workshops. They provide a safe space on campus where students can be who they are without fear of judgement. Their staff is trained to provide Peer-to-peer support to victims of injustice, including those who have experienced assault, harassment, discrimination, or prejudice. Finally, they address food security by operating the only food bank on campus.
BUSU has partnered with Toronto-based lawyer Alex Valova, of the Archer Law Professional Corporation, to bring free legal information to campus.
Niagara Community Legal Clinic
Niagara Community Legal Clinic is a non-profit legal clinic that provides free legal services to low-income residents of the Niagara region including the communities of Welland, St. Catharines, Beamsville, Grimsby, Niagara Falls, Niagara-on-the Lake, Port Colborne, Thorold, Fort Erie, and Crystal Beach. Responding to the needs of the community, the Clinic offers direct legal representation, summary advice, law reform, public legal education and community outreach.
Tenant and Landlord Rights in Ontario
This resource provides an overview on all provincial rights for tenants and landlords residing in Ontario.
A Guide to the Residential Tenancies Act
This guide is a summary of Ontario’s Residential Tenancies Act (the Act) which came into effect on January 31, 2007. The Act sets out the rights and responsibilities of landlords and tenants who rent residential properties.
This resource is an independent but publicly funded and publicly accountable non-profit corporation, which provides legal support to low-income individuals.
