Lethbridge post-secondaries see high demand for on-campus living

Rent continues to dip in Lethbridge, but post-secondary students are still seeking cheaper options, including on campuses, which are at capacity.

Post-secondary institutions in Lethbridge are seeing continued demand for on-campus living.

The University of Lethbridge’s Housing Services says its 980 units are full as a new semester begins.

“Seeing that there still is a bit of waitlist shows us that the demand is pretty high,” said spokesperson Laura Correal. “Finding housing off-campus that is affordable to students is quite hard.”

• The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App

Correal says demand for new student housing was high this summer, while the need for continuing students was met.

She says students are primarily choosing to live on campus to help save costs, including on rent.

“Either they don’t have a house that is available to them within their means, or they’re finding they’re only able to find a whole living space instead of just one bedroom or vice versa.”

Lethbridge Polytechnic tells CTV News it is also at capacity with its 537 units.

Lethbridge rent drops

While both institutions say on-campus housing is full, the cost of rent in the city has dropped, according to a new report by Rentals.ca.

According to the report, the average cost to rent a one-bedroom unit in Lethbridge in August was $1,295 per month, a decrease of 8.7 per cent from the same time one year ago.

A two-bedroom unit, meanwhile, has seen a slight increase, costing $1,614 a month, up 2.8 per cent from August 2024.

“We looked at 60 communities across Canada for this latest rent report, and Lethbridge was the sixth most affordable,” said Giacomo Ladas with Rentals.ca.

The average rent for a one-bedroom in Alberta last month was $1,549, according to the report.

Ladas says fewer international students travelling to Canada in the summer has resulted in more vacancy than demand, allowing rent prices to drop.

“We are not seeing the demand reach the level of supply that’s coming in, and what that means is there is more choices for renters, and so property managers are now working a little bit harder to get the attention of these renters,” he said.

“What they can do is bring down the cost of rent, and hopefully that brings in prospective tenants, and than on top of that we are seeing move-in incentives come back with vengeance.”

The high demand for on-campus residences can have an impact on more than just students, according to Correal.

She says final enrolment numbers for institutions can vary depending on the current rental market.

“We might have students that are first years that are looking at several other options, so if they don’t get housing in their respective post-secondary, they might look at another place that is offering that.”

According to Rentals.ca, rent for a one-bedroom in Medicine Hat saw a 2.7 per cent drop to $1,220 per month in August, while the cost of a two-bedroom unit held steady at $1,411 per month.