General Tips
- No rush! Plenty of rentals are available in Kingston. You don’t need to visit immediately after receiving your offer. If you do, let us know—we’ll meet up! But this doesn’t mean you should wait, finding a good place will be hard to come by. Be sure to view the unit either in person or by videocall.
- Preclerkship (Years 1 & 2): School runs from September to May.
- Clerkship (Years 3 & 4): School runs from September (Year 3) to May (Year 4).
- Most leases near campus start in May and last 12 months. If you view places in May/June, expect June–August start dates; in June/July, expect July–September start dates.
- Most QMed students live within a 15-minute walk, mainly Downtown and East of Campus (see map).
- Grocery stores downtown: Metro, Food Basics, plus smaller shops like Tara’s, Brynn’s Fresh Market, Kingston Asian Super. Princess St. has shops, cafés, restaurants, and nightlife (noisier between Division & Barrie). If you have a car there is a Costco, Farm Boy and FreshCo 10-15 min drive away.
- Some students drive. On-campus parking: ~$110/month (5–10 min walk). Info: Queen’s Parking. Some use street parking for short days. Parking Spots downtown are harder to come by.
- Many rentals are managed by property companies, some unlisted online. Research pricing & quality. Major landlords: Homestead, Keystone, Springer, BPE, Patry Inc, Bendale, Varsity, Panadew.
- Homestead is popular but hard to secure. Visit their office, call daily, or find someone leaving to get an “in.” Their apartments are quieter, with many professional students and seniors.
- Many Kingston buildings are old with poor insulation. If on busy streets (Princess, Queen, Brock), check for noise. Stand silently in the bedroom during viewings. Cheap rent may mean high winter utility bills due to poor insulation.
- Utilities Kingston (613-546-0000) can provide average utility costs for rentals.
- Some places require you to pay for all utilities (hydro, water, heat), but some might be just hydro - check before signing the lease. This could be a difference of $100-200 in your monthly bill
- Recommend googling Landlord who have poor reviews, there are a couple landlords named on Reddit and Facebook - keep this in mind before signing as there has been a history of landlords creating strict and specific lease contracts for students that might not be technically legal.