Why many CUE students look for off-campus housing
Concordia University of Edmonton (CUE)’s two current residence buildings, Eberhardt Hall and Founders Hall, remain open and in use. But current on-campus residence capacity remains limited compared with reported student interest: only 6% of CUE’s first-year students currently live in residence, compared with a 34% national average and 31% at comparable universities. As a result, many CUE students may need to explore housing in neighbourhoods around campus.
CUE’s new residence: what’s actually changing
CUE is building a new 200-bed residence at 11120 73 Street, a $22.6 million project with a construction contract awarded to Fillmore Construction. The university expects to welcome its first students in early 2027, with applications opening in late 2026. Once the new building is ready, Eberhardt Hall and Founders Hall will be repurposed rather than demolished, so current on-campus housing stays available in the meantime. CUE also reports that 1 in 5 students who currently live off campus say they would choose residence if a space opened up, a sign of how tight on-campus demand already is (Future CUE, Concordia University of Edmonton).
Edmonton’s rental market has loosened in 2026
The broader Edmonton market has cooled at the same time. CBC News reported the city’s average rent across all unit types at $1,589 in March 2026, down 2.4% year-over-year, and described Edmonton as a renter’s market as new supply outpaced demand (CBC News, April 2026). CMHC’s most recent rental market survey put Edmonton’s purpose-built rental vacancy rate at 3.8% in 2025, with a 2026 outlook projecting it could climb toward 4.5% (CMHC, December 2025). For CUE students, limited on-campus space combined with a loosening citywide rental market may provide more off-campus options than were available during tighter rental periods.
Neighbourhoods to search near CUE’s campus
CUE’s campus sits at 7128 Ada Boulevard NW (Concordia University of Edmonton), inside the Highlands neighbourhood overlooking the North Saskatchewan River valley. Students searching off campus tend to look at Highlands itself along with the neighbouring inner-city communities of Cromdale, Virginia Park, Bellevue, and Alberta Avenue and Eastwood, all a short bus ride or drive from campus. CUE’s own housing advice tells students not to limit themselves to walking distance, since several parts of the city have workable bus or LRT access to campus (Off-Campus Housing Tips, CUE).
| Neighbourhood | Where it sits | Getting to campus |
| Highlands | Home to CUE’s campus on Ada Boulevard NW | Walking distance for many addresses |
| Cromdale | Immediately west of Highlands, near the Stadium Transit Centre | Direct school-special bus route to CUE (see below) |
| Virginia Park | South of Cromdale, along the river valley | Check ETS trip planner for the specific address |
| Bellevue | West of Highlands, near 118 Avenue | Check ETS trip planner for the specific address |
| Alberta Avenue and Eastwood | North of Highlands, inner-city Edmonton | Check ETS trip planner for the specific address |
Whichever neighbourhood you’re considering, confirm the actual bus or walking route from a specific address to campus before signing anything. The ETS trip planner is the most reliable way to check what’s running on the current semester’s schedule. Eastwood currently has the most liv.rent-listed buildings of the five neighbourhoods above; see the building list further down in this guide.
What does it cost to rent in Edmonton in 2026?
In August 2026, the average unfurnished one-bedroom apartment in Edmonton rented for $1,264 a month, with furnished one-bedrooms averaging $1,413, a $149 premium, according to liv.rent’s own August 2026 Calgary and Edmonton rent report. That report doesn’t break out a CUE-neighbourhood-specific figure, or a studio or two-bedroom average, so treat the numbers below as a citywide benchmark rather than a Highlands- or Cromdale-specific price.
One-bedroom apartments: furnished versus unfurnished
liv.rent’s report shows Edmonton’s unfurnished one-bedroom average down 2.91% year-over-year, from $1,301 to $1,264, even after a 2.25% month-over-month uptick from July. Furnished one-bedrooms rose 1.08% from July to $1,413, and sit 8.80% below where they were a year earlier. That $149 furnished premium is worth weighing against the cost of buying your own furniture for a one-year lease.
| Unit type (Edmonton, Aug. 2026) | Average rent | Change from July | Change from a year earlier |
| Unfurnished one-bedroom | $1,264 | +2.25% | −2.91% |
| Furnished one-bedroom | $1,413 | +1.08% | −8.80% |
Source: liv.rent’s August 2026 Calgary and Edmonton rent report.
Studios, two-bedrooms, and splitting rent with a roommate
For studio and two-bedroom pricing, compare current Edmonton listings directly, since liv.rent’s rent report tracks one-bedroom units specifically and asking prices shift month to month. Sharing a larger unit with a roommate may cost less per person than renting a studio alone, depending on the current asking rents and included utilities, and CUE’s own housing advice makes the same point. If your move-in date is flexible, compare listings across a few months rather than assuming one month’s asking prices will hold.
How to find available apartments near CUE right now
Building-level availability near CUE changes weekly, so use this guide to compare neighbourhoods, transit, rent trends, and tenant rights, then check current Edmonton listings for what’s actually available today.
Buildings currently listed in Eastwood
Of the five neighbourhoods above, Eastwood is where liv.rent’s own building index shows the most listed apartment buildings near CUE, clustered around 82nd and 87th Street. As of September 2026, six buildings have a liv.rent building page:
- Eastwood Manor, 11920 82 Street NW
- Trina Place, 11930 82 Street NW
- Ramos Place, 11940 82 Street NW
- Aspen Apartments, 12207 82 Street NW
- Alexander Apartments, 12220 82 Street NW
- Redwood Meadows, 11848 87 Street NW
A building page means the property is listed on liv.rent, not that a unit is available today, so check each page or liv.rent’s Edmonton search for current vacancies and pricing. Highlands, Cromdale, Virginia Park, and Bellevue don’t show listed buildings in the same index at time of writing; search those neighbourhoods directly on liv.rent’s Edmonton listings page instead.
Search liv.rent by neighbourhood
liv.rent lets you filter Edmonton listings by neighbourhood, price, and unit type. Look for the “ID Verified” badge on individual listings, and treat a “Not Verified” listing with extra caution, reviewing the landlord and property details carefully before applying (liv.rent, Verified Listings). That distinction matters if you’re moving from out of province or overseas, since it can help reduce the risk of encountering a misleading or fraudulent listing. Search current one-bedroom, studio, and shared listings directly on liv.rent’s Edmonton listings page.
CUE’s own listing service
CUE also links students to an external, real-time database of off-campus listings, which it says is free for students to use and sort by price and features. CUE is clear that it doesn’t verify, inspect, approve, or recommend any of the listings on that service, so the same due diligence applies there as anywhere else (Off-Campus Housing, CUE).
Getting to CUE campus without a car
The direct connection most students ask about is the bus from Stadium Transit Centre to CUE. ETS Route 622, officially named “Stadium / Concordia University,” runs as a school-special service between Stadium Transit Centre and Concordia University, with scheduled trips of about eight minutes (City of Edmonton, ETS Maps, Routes and Schedules).
What Route 622 actually covers
Route 622 is a school-special service tied to the academic calendar rather than a year-round route. Under the current schedule it doesn’t run during Fall Reading Week, and City of Edmonton service notices are the fastest way to confirm whether it’s running on a given day. Route 101, which also serves Stadium Transit Centre, runs between there and Abbottsfield Transit Centre; it’s a useful connector for that corridor but isn’t a direct line to campus.
Other ways in
CUE’s off-campus housing advice recommends checking the ETS trip planner for any specific address, since several neighbourhoods beyond easy walking distance still have workable bus access to campus. For anyone in Highlands itself, walking or cycling is realistic for many addresses. For any address outside Highlands, plan the actual route with the ETS trip planner or a map before assuming the commute works without a car.
Alberta tenant rights CUE students should know before signing
Alberta’s Residential Tenancies Act sets out the same rules for every renter in the province, students included. A few points matter most for a first lease.
Security deposits
A security deposit in Alberta can’t be more than one month’s rent at the time the tenancy starts, and it can’t be increased later during the tenancy even if rent goes up. Landlords must put the deposit into an interest-bearing trust account within two banking days of collecting it. Both a move-in and a move-out inspection report are required; if the inspection report requirements aren’t met, Alberta says landlords can’t deduct for damage or cleaning from the deposit, though they can still take legal action to recover those costs. Within 10 days of move-out, the landlord must return the deposit and interest, less any permitted deductions, with a statement of account. If the final deduction amount can’t be determined within 10 days, the landlord may provide an estimated statement first, followed by the final statement and any remaining payment within 30 days (Starting a tenancy, Government of Alberta; Ending a tenancy, Government of Alberta). This is general information, not legal advice.
Rent increases
Alberta doesn’t cap how much a landlord can raise the rent, but the timing is strict. An increase can’t take effect until at least 365 days have passed since the tenancy started or since the last increase, whichever is later, and rent can’t be raised at all during a fixed term. For a month-to-month tenancy, the landlord must give at least three full tenancy months’ written notice; any other periodic tenancy requires 90 days’ notice. A rent increase notice for a periodic tenancy must be in writing and include the date, the effective date of the increase, and the landlord’s signature (During a tenancy, Government of Alberta).
Resolving a dispute through the RTDRS
If something goes wrong, renters and landlords can apply to the Alberta Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service (RTDRS) to resolve eligible tenancy disputes without going to court. As of April 1, 2026, filing fees are tiered: $75 for claims or counterclaims of $7,500 or less, $150 for claims above that amount, and $100 for certain counterclaims where an RTDRS application is already active between the same parties. Fee waivers are available for eligible applicants (RTDRS, Government of Alberta). This is general information, not legal advice. For anything specific to your lease, contact Alberta’s official tenancy resources, the RTDRS directly, or a qualified legal professional.
What to check before signing an off-campus lease
Fixed-term versus month-to-month
A fixed-term lease locks in the rent for the length of the term, since Alberta law doesn’t allow a rent increase during a fixed term. A month-to-month tenancy is more flexible if your plans might change, but it comes with the notice rules above. Neither option is automatically the better choice; it depends on how certain your move-out date is.
Utilities, red flags, and viewing in person
CUE’s own off-campus housing tips tell students to confirm in writing whether rent includes heat, water, power, and internet, and to ask about typical fall and winter utility bills before signing, since Edmonton winters can make heating costs a real factor. The same advice applies to red flags: don’t send money or sign a lease before verifying the landlord and property and viewing the unit in person or through a live video call, and treat a request for more than one month’s rent as a damage deposit as a legal red flag under the RTA, not just a bad sign. Verified landlords and a documented lease on liv.rent can help renters reduce that risk, and completing your renter profile, including Trust Score, gives landlords a clearer, more complete picture of your application (liv.rent, Trust Score).
Is Concordia University of Edmonton building new student housing for 2026?
CUE’s two current residence buildings remain open, and the university is also constructing a new 200-bed residence on campus property, expected to welcome its first students in early 2027 with applications opening in late 2026. Because on-campus space has always been limited (just 6% of first-year students currently live in residence versus a 34% national average), most CUE students rent off-campus.
What is the average rent near Concordia University of Edmonton in 2026?
liv.rent’s August 2026 Calgary and Edmonton rent report puts Edmonton’s average unfurnished one-bedroom at $1,264 a month and furnished one-bedrooms at $1,413. These are citywide figures, not Highlands- or Cromdale-specific, and the report doesn’t cover studios or two-bedrooms, so check current listings for those unit types and for pricing in a specific neighbourhood.
What bus goes from Stadium Transit Centre to Concordia University of Edmonton?
ETS Route 622 (“Stadium / Concordia University”) runs as a school-special service directly between Stadium Transit Centre and Concordia University, with scheduled trips of about eight minutes. It’s tied to the academic calendar rather than running year-round, so check the current ETS schedule before relying on it.
Can a landlord raise rent by any amount in Alberta?
Yes. Alberta sets no cap on the size of a rent increase, but an increase can’t happen until at least 365 days have passed since the tenancy started or the last increase, and it can’t happen at all during a fixed term. For a month-to-month tenancy, landlords must give at least three full tenancy months’ written notice. This is general information, not legal advice.
How much is a security deposit in Alberta?
A security deposit can’t exceed one month’s rent at the time the tenancy starts, and it can’t be increased during the tenancy even if rent goes up. Landlords must hold it in an interest-bearing trust account and, at move-out, either return it in full within 10 days or provide a statement of account for any deductions within the same window. This is general information, not legal advice.
Does CUE help students find off-campus housing?
Yes. CUE links students to an external, real-time database of off-campus listings that’s free for students to use. CUE is clear that it doesn’t verify, inspect, approve, or recommend any of the listings on that service.
0 Comments