TRU student in lecture

A Month-by-Month Guide to Finding Thompson Rivers University Housing in Kamloops

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Finding Thompson Rivers University housing, whether on-campus or off-campus, takes a little more work than students realize. Rental housing in Kamloops is competitive! In 2025, CJFC Today reported that the vacancy rate in Kamloops is usually about 1.2%, much lower than the national average of around 3%.

Whether you live in the area or are moving to the city to study, following this basic month-to-month TRU housing guide should make the job easier!

Start Housing Research Early in the New Year

TRU housing applications for the summer session are open in February, and for the September academic year, in early spring.

When to begin housing research:

  • If your classes start in September, start researching Thompson Rivers University housing in early February so you’re ready to apply by April. Once you have secured housing at the university for September classes, in late July you’ll use the TRU roommate matching service to request a roommate.
  • If you’re attending the May-August summer term, begin your research in January because applications for summer housing open in February. For summer students, TRU housing staff manually assign roommates based on a personal profile questionnaire.

Only full-time students are eligible to live in TRU housing.

If you want to rent an apartment off-campus, you can wait for a couple of months before classes start to do some basic research and find out what’s available and within your budget.

March to April: Narrow Down Your Options

At this time of year, demand for on-campus housing increases. You’ll need to decide which housing you want and apply as soon as the university starts accepting housing applications.

May to June: Book Viewings of Off-Campus Apartments

From May to June, the competition for private apartments, especially housing for Thompson Rivers University, will increase dramatically. This is the time to visit apartment websites, view floor plans, pricing and read about the application process.

Gather the things you’ll need for a tenancy application:

  • ID: driver’s license, passport
  • Past rental addresses: a few past places you’ve rented (if applicable)
  • References: property managers may ask for one or two
  • Emergency contacts: property managers may ask for one or two
  • Proof of income and/or employment history: property managers may require information about your current employer and one to several past employers
  • Banking information which may include a void cheque for pre-authorized payments
  • Preferred apartment: the type of apartment you prefer (e.g. studio, 1 bedroom, 2 bedroom)

Ask for a copy of the rental Terms of Lease or print them if they are included in the tenancy application.

July to August: Secure Your Rental

If you’ll be starting classes in September, by late July or early August, you should have already signed a lease. At this point, if you haven’t already secured TRU housing or an apartment near TRU, you’ll be scrambling to find a place to live. Most university housing will be full and many of the best apartments near TRU will be taken.

Summit Village: Thompson Rivers University Housing that Students Love

Summit Village Residences is a favourite of TRU students because of the convenient Kamloops location and neighbourhood. Located in Sahali, our two apartment buildings are a 25-minute walk, or 10-minute bus ride from TRU. The neighbourhood has everything you need, including grocery stores, services, restaurants and shopping in one of several nearby malls.

Apply Here!