Explore the sections below to learn more about long-stay housing, including application timelines, gender designations, and contract lengths. The application process differs for returning and new residents, so be sure to review the section that applies to you.
You are only eligible for student housing if you have been fully accepted into a full-time, 12-weeks or more cohort-based BCIT program. On-campus accommodation is limited and not guaranteed. The BCIT Student Housing long-stay operation is geared primarily to students in programs that start in September and end in May, however vacancies may occur throughout the year for those students whose programs start at other points in the year.
Long-stay suites are designated as:
- Women’s only
- Men’s only
- Mixed-gender, woman’s floor
- Mixed-gender, men’s floor
- All genders
All washrooms and showers are single-stall and gender neutral.
Rooms are assigned based on:
- Priority considerations
- Current residents
- Applicants coming from the BC Lower Mainland (south of Whistler and west of Hope)
- Applicants coming from the rest of British Columbia
- Out-of-province applicants
- International applicants
We make room assignments based on gender as self-identified on the housing application.
Student Housing contracts are available for three separate terms: Fall, Winter and Summer. Offer letters and contracts will specify the length of your stay. If you wish to return to Student Housing in an upcoming term or stay past the end of your agreement, you will need to re-apply. Student Housing is not guaranteed term to term.
Priority considerations are made for the following groups:
- Students with disabilities that impact their housing needs (as verified by BCIT Accessibility Services)
- Indigenous students
- Students who were formerly youth-in-care
Accessibility
Student Housing supports students with a variety of accessibility needs. We have suites that are equipped with:
- In-suite washer and dryer
- Wheelchair-accessible washroom, bedroom, and kitchen
- Strobe light fire alarm
Please indicate in your application if you require an accessible space in housing. Students may be able to view the space before moving in, depending on the availability.
To request priority access to Student Housing based on accessibility needs, students must register with BCIT Accessibility Services. Priority access will be given to students once Student Housing has received confirmation from Accessibility Services.
Returning Residents Application Process
Returning Students
- Round 1: Returning Students
Students returning to BCIT Student Housing for the 2025-2026 academic year should submit their applications by March 1, 2025, to participate in Round 1 of Housing Offers, including the Roommate Matching and Room Selection process.
Applications received after March 1, 2025, will be processed alongside new resident applications.
New Students
Students applying to live in BCIT Student Housing for the first time in the 2025-2026 academic year should submit their applications by the following deadlines:
- Round 2: Early Bird Offers
- Application Deadline: March 16, 2025
- Offers Sent: April 14, 2025
- Round 3: General Offers
- Application Deadline: May 1, 2025
- Offers Sent: May 31, 2025
After Round 3, offers will be made on a rolling basis as cancellations are received.
The 2025-2026 Student Housing Application will open on February 1, 2025.
- Students can log into the Housing Portal at any time after February 1, 2025, to submit their application.
- Applications are NOT considered on a first-come, first-serve basis, so the order in which applications are received does not impact your chances.
- To be considered in Round 1, returning residents must submit their application by March 1, 2025.
Returning Student Housing residents will have the opportunity to form Roommate Groups via the Housing Portal. Residents selected to move forward with the application process will gain access to the Roommate Selection feature.
Please note: Returning residents are not guaranteed a room year-to-year.
Notifications and Instructions
If you are selected to continue with the process, you will receive an email notification with detailed instructions on how to form a Roommate Group.
- If you choose not to form a Roommate Group, that’s perfectly okay. You will still be notified of the steps for Room Selection afterward.
- Choosing not to join a Roommate Group will not impact your chances of being allocated a room in Student Housing.
Roommate Search Options in StarRez
Residents can search for roommates in StarRez using three methods:
- By resident’s name – Search for a specific person you want to room with.
- By existing Roommate Group – Join an already-created Roommate Group by another resident.
- By Roommate Profile score – Search for compatible roommates based on matching profiles.
Roommate Group Leaders
Any resident can create a Roommate Group and invite others to join. Group names are automatically generated by the Housing Portal. Residents can create groups of 2 to 6 members.
- The resident who creates the group becomes the Group Leader.
- The Group Leader is responsible for selecting rooms for the entire group during the Room Selection stage.
- The Group Leader can delete members from their Roommate Group and can assign Leadership to any other resident in their group.
Roommate Group Requests
- If you invite someone to your roommate group, they will need to accept your request to join.
- Add to Group requests expire within 7 days.
Group Leaders and individual residents selected to proceed will receive a designated timeslot to log in to the Housing Portal and select a room for themselves or their Roommate Group.
- You can select your room at the start of your timeslot or anytime after that within the next 5 days.
- Important: If you do not select a room within the 5-day window, your application will be canceled, and you will need to reapply to Student Housing.
Notification and Instructions:
Residents will receive an email with:
- Their assigned timeslot.
- Step-by-step instructions on how to navigate the Housing Portal and select a room.
Please plan to log in and complete your room selection as soon as possible after your timeslot begins to secure your preferred option.
After Group Leaders and individual residents have selected their room, you will receive a notification to visit the Housing Portal to officially accept your Student Housing Offer and Contract.
Important Details:
- The majority of returning residents have already paid the $300 confirmation fee and damage deposit when they first moved in. Therefore, it will not be necessary to pay again for returning residents.
Please ensure you log in to the Housing Portal promptly to accept your offer and complete this final step in securing your room.
New Residents Application Process
New Students
Students applying to live in BCIT Student Housing for the first time in the 2025-2026 academic year should submit their applications by the following deadlines:
- Round 1: Early Bird Offers
- Application Deadline: March 16, 2025
- Offers Sent: April 14, 2025
- Round 2: General Offers
- Application Deadline: May 1, 2025
- Offers Sent: May 31, 2025
After Round 2, offers will be made on a rolling basis as cancellations are received.
The 2025-2026 Student Housing Application will open on February 1, 2025.
- Students can log into the Housing Portal at any time after February 1, 2025, to submit their application.
- Applications are NOT considered on a first-come, first-serve basis, so the order in which applications are received does not impact your chances.
- To be considered in Round 1, for new residents must submit their application by March 16, 2025.
Due to limited on-campus housing, students will be randomly selected through a lottery to participate in the auto-allocate process. Starting March 16th, Student Housing will use the Living Preferences Profile submitted through the Housing Application to match students based on compatible living habits. For example, if you and a peer both indicate that you are very tidy and wake up around 7 AM, the system will prioritize placing you together. The tool will also consider room gender and room type preferences to create comfortable and suitable living arrangements.
Students who do not receive a room in Round 1, will be considered for Rounds 2 and 3. Please review the deadlines above.
Once the lottery and room allocation are completed, students will be notified via email with their Housing Offer and Contract. They will then be directed to log into the Housing Portal to accept their offer and must pay a non-refundable $300 room confirmation fee to confirm their booking.
For more information on payment methods, visit our Payment Options page.
After accepting the offer and paying the fee, the Housing Office will contact students with check-in and move-in details.