victoria housing

[lawstudentss]

how does everyone find renting an apartment in victoria? it seems to be incredibly expensive, and im having a hard time finding any within walking distance of UVIC. Does anyone currently living there have an estimate of yearly living expenses?  In a perfect world I want to live alone... however i cant justify spending 2000 a month on rent. 

[Legalboi]

You probably won’t be living alone for under $1500 a month - $2000 if you count food internet etc. Also you have to be really on top of listings as soon as they go up, if it’s been up for longer than a day they have most likely gotten 100 responses already and will not respond back to you. It’s hard out here right now lol. If you can get a group together you can find a 3 bedroom for around $750-$800 each. Me and my partner live with 2 roommates near Uvic in a 3 bedroom for $650 each. My advice for anyone coming out here for school is start looking earlier rather than later.

[lawstudentss]

do you have any places you recommend looking? im not local at all so cant really walk around but the online postings are limited and kinda sketch looking... like do i need a real estate agent or something lol

[Legalboi]

Usedvictoria.com is a good local source, for sure less sketch than Craigslist. Facebook marketplace is also better in my experience and I think there is a Facebook group or something for Uvic student housing but that may be sublets mostly I’m not really sure.

[fettuccinealfredo]

On 2/8/2022 at 11:25 AM, lawstudentss said:

do you have any places you recommend looking? im not local at all so cant really walk around but the online postings are limited and kinda sketch looking... like do i need a real estate agent or something lol

Living alone in Victoria is unbelievably expensive- if you can find a studio apartment, that is your best bet at staying under $1300.  Definitely use Facebook Marketplace if you can, as it's much easier to see when new listings come up and seems like more and more landlords are using it. UsedVictoria and Craigslist are good options as well. Keep in mind that your student ID doubles as a bus pass, and there are several bus routes to campus from around the city.

With regard to bus routes, good roads to stick close to are McKenzie Avenue, Richmond Rd, Henderson Rd, Fort Street, Foul Bay Rd, Hillside Avenue, and Lansdowne Rd. There are several buses that run along these roads, so if you are close-ish to any of them, you shouldn't have too much trouble getting to campus. Downtown is really good for accessing transit to UVic, but it's also got its problems.

[Thewaitismuchtoolong]

Live in duncan and commute the malahat would be my recommendation. Its a shit town but infinitely cheaper in rent. The drive is only about 45 minutes depending on traffic.

[Possum]

15 minutes ago, tdot1967 said:

Live in duncan and commute the malahat would be my recommendation. Its a shit town but infinitely cheaper in rent. The drive is only about 45 minutes depending on traffic.

Oh no that is a terrible idea!  The malahat is often shut down in the winter for accidents, or this year it was a washout.  There is a small ferry from Mill Bay to the peninsula, but that does not even come close to making a dent in the needs.

With the cost of gas and time factored in, that equation does not add up.  Spend that $$ on living in the same region in your school.

I live just north of Duncan, about 1hr drive away, and if I am lucky enough to be offered a position I will be looking for somewhere to stay in Vic throughout the week.