Student Residence Frequently Asked Questions

The residence is located at 80 Cooperage Street, Toronto ON M5A 0J3 (open in Google Maps), Downtown Toronto next to the Distillery District. Short walk to classes at St. James and Waterfront Campuses and less than 40 minutes via transit to the Casa Loma Campus.

Applying for Academic Year (September – April)

You can apply to residence by filling out the online application available at Student Residence website or by visiting our My Housing Portal. Applications are accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Applications that do not include the application fee are considered incomplete and will not be considered for acceptance. You can apply online by filling out a residence application by selecting the Apply Now button in the top right hand corner of the residence webpage. Applications are accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Applying for Winter (January - April)

Residence applications for the Winter Term usually open in October. The number of spaces available for the January intake fluctuate throughout the Fall term, due to a varying number of students giving up their space in residence. We still encourage you to apply as we will try our best to accommodate students looking for housing in the Winter Academic Term. Contact us if you are interested in starting residence in January and we will be able to help you further with the application process.

Applying for Summer Semester (May - August)

Students that are interested in staying with us over the Summer are more than welcome to do so! We offer accommodations for students to live at the Residence over the summer with rates that can be found at our rates and payments page. Applications for our Summer Term will open the January of that year prior to the specific Summer Semester you're interested in. You are able to apply to stay with us over the Summer here: Student Residence webesite. Students that currently live in the residence and would like to continue residing at The George for the Summer do not need to move out, however, may be moved to another floor to ensure they are living in a community with their peers and to help us ensure all suites get thoroughly cleaned.

If I am a Summer Student and want to continue living in residence for the upcoming academic year do I need to create a new application?

YES. A new application is always required for each residence term. Spaces are not guaranteed and are always offered on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Academic Year Acceptance

Our first round of formal acceptance emails will be mailed out in April. If we reach full capacity you will receive a waitlist notification. Following April, we will be communicating to new applicants every 10 business days with the status of your applications/acceptance.

In the acceptance email you will receive instructions on how to complete the rest of your acceptance details online. The online process requires you to provide details related to contact and health information, payment information, emergency contact information, and personality profile questions that will help you to select a roommate. You will also be asked to review and accept the Student Residence Agreement, which is a legal document that serves as the contract between you and the residence. Please ensure that you read it carefully and keep a copy for your records.

Please contact the Residence Manager to discuss your concerns.

NOTE: The George residence does not accept promissory notes from students who are planning to use the proceeds of their OSAP loan to pay their Residence fees. You must make the necessary arrangements to submit your residence fees prior to the due dates or your spot in residence may be forfeited to a student on our waitlist.

During the application process, students are asked to identify a primary and secondary contact. It is strongly recommended that these contacts are the parents or legal guardians of the resident. The Primary or Secondary Contact will serve as an emergency contact and may also be communicated to if any other significant concerns or problems arise with the resident. In the case where the Primary contact is unavailable, the Secondary contact will be notified.

Once you have received an acceptance letter from us, you must complete filling out your acceptance information online as soon as possible. The deadline to have this information filled out is outlined in your acceptance email.

Please note that payment is due by the date outlined in your acceptance. If we have not received your payment by the indicated deadline we may cancel your application, and retain your application fee since it is non-refundable, and the next student on the waitlist will be accepted. Please see our cancellation policy for further information.

The same deadlines are applicable to those using paper copies of the application.

Please provide your details on the Medical, Accessibility, and Special Consideration section when completing your acceptance information within your application to provide us with more information about how we can support your success in residence. Students requiring special accommodations on campus are encouraged to contact the Accessible Learning Services Office on campus. The residence includes accessible housing options, and accessible common spaces.

Please provide as much detail as possible on the Special Consideration section when completing your acceptance information within your application to help us determine how we can best support your success in residence. In many instances, we will contact you directly to further discuss how to ensure you are set up for a successful residence experience. If you would prefer, please email us directly at info@georgebrownresidence.ca so we can put you in touch with a Residence Life Coordinator.

You can request a specific roommate via email during the Winter and Summer terms. As long as you have both been accepted to study at George Brown, are accepted into the residence, and we receive both requests prior to the deadlines, we can accommodate these requests based on availability.

During acceptances for the Fall term, however, we set up a roommate matching portal where students get to browse and talk to each other before requesting each other as roommates. More information about the roommate portal is shared via email with our upcoming residents. 

We do not give out your room number prior to your arrival. The reason for this is that changes to our room registry may occur before you arrive and we want to ensure we provide you the correct information about your room. Therefore, all room assignment information is provided upon arrival.

Yes you can, with a few exceptions. All cooking devices must have an automatic shutoff, be approved by CSA, and must not have an open element (for example hot plates and indoor grills are not permitted). All appliances are subject to approval by Residence staff. Toaster ovens, slow cookers, rice cookers, and toasters are great examples of what you can bring. Induction-style heat elements are also allowed in Residence and are a great option for boiling water and cooking with a frying pan. If you have any questions as to what is safe and approved, just ask!

There are no residence meal plan options at this time. Your suite includes a full sized fridge and microwave with extra space for some cooking appliances (see Question 12 for details). In addition, community kitchens with full sized stoves are distributed through the residence. The neighbourhood features a nearby grocery store and many dining options such as Fuel+, Impact Kitchen, and Tabule just to name a few.

If something breaks in your suite, you can log into your residence portal account and create a maintenance requisition form. This form authorizes our maintenance staff to enter you room between the hours of 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM to repair the damages you have requested. Non-emergency requests can take a few days to complete, so we ask for your patience. If the damage is an emergency, we ask that you alert our staff to the situation by calling the front desk. Please note that any damage to the suite that has occurred at the fault of the resident will be billed.

Our front desk is open 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Staff is available for questions, comments and/or concerns around the clock. Please stop down and get to know our Residence Services Representatives, they are here for you!

The Residence does not offer any family or co-ed accommodations at this time. GBC has a housing office that can help you find off campus housing. Please visit Housing Office or stop by the Welcome Desk at any of the campuses.

There are no parking services offered by George Brown at the residence. Underground parking can be obtained based on availability from a third-party provider. Information on use of the underground parking will be provided on this page as we receive it. George Brown College Residence does not monitor or take responsibility for the parking facilities located in the basement level of the building.

The residence offers secure, controlled access 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In addition, cameras monitor all hallways and common areas in the Residence and our staff takes regular walking rounds to ensure the safety of the residents and guests. Managers are always on call and are available to help students regardless of the issue. George Brown security staff is onsite and the front desk is also monitored 24 hours a day to serve students.

Stay connected with Instagram & TikTok @thegeorgeresidence to keep on top of what's going on in the residence.

It is mandatory for students to leave residence during the Winter Break while no classes are in session. You are asked to clear out your fridge and turn off the lights, and remove all food that can go bad while away for the break. International and distant students who need to live in residence are able to submit a request form to management.

If the student is accepted and actively enrolled in classes at George Brown College during the Spring term, they do not have to leave between the end of April and the summer term start if they wish to live at The George over the summer months. Students may be asked to shift to a new room after their exams (in order for us to clean the entire building). Summer residence is offered at a reduced rate.

If you are a registered student of George Brown College but are not actively enrolled in classes for the Spring semester, you are not eligible for the Summer student rate. In order to help our students, we offer a bridging rate of $45 per day with limited space in residence. To be eligible for the bridging rate, you must still apply for the Summer term in our residence portal and notify us upon acceptance to the residence of your enrollment status. For further questions, please send us an email to info@georgebrownresidence.ca

Pets are not permitted in residence.

Students should refer to our cancellation policy for details on how to cancel their residence application. Declining your GBC offer or cancelling your enrollment from the college does NOT constitute a cancellation from residence. You must log onto the portal and cancel your residence application separately.

Yes, while our "Academic Year" agreement is from September to April, students are told at the beginning of the year to apply if they would like to stay over the Summer Term (from May to August). If you are a current resident living at The George, who is taking classes during the Spring semester, and are interested in applying to live at the residence for the Summer Term, please apply as a "Returning Student". This way, you won't have to repay the $100 application fee (see questions 2, 21, and 22 for further information about Summer Residence).

The number of spaces available for the Winter intake change due to a varying number of students withdrawing from their programs and/or residence each year. Contact us if you are interested in starting residence in January and we will be able to help you further with the application process.

The George Brown College Residence is a "designated residence" for property tax and rent purposes, meaning that residence fees cannot be claimed on income tax returns. The only claim allowed is $25 for the year (with no receipt necessary), as directed by the Ontario government. For this reason, the residence does not issue tax receipts for residence fees. For further information, please visit the Ontario Ministry of Finance.

A laundry card will be provided to all residents upon move in. Students will be able to load this laundry card with money when needed. The cost of laundry will be approximately $2.25 per wash and $2.00 per dry. The Laundry room is located on the second floor of the Residence with 11 washing machines and 12 dryers.