ann m

Daughter Number One has been accepted to attend Vancouver Film School - all of the campuses look like they are downtown.

Although we already know the city is a tough place to find rentals - and expensive, I'm still slightly freaked out by costs of accommodation that has been provided in a guide from the School.

Am looking for ideas, suggestions, no-go places and areas suitable for renting. She doesn't know the city at all, and I only mostly know what you lot gossip about! The School recommends looking for somewhere in Transit Zone 1.

Love to hear your thoughts and advice, or that you know of a lovely family looking to rent out their basement room.

Snowy560

If she rents in transit zone 1 it will be expensive. Put it this way: I live in transit zone 2 and rent out a room in our basement to a young student who has to travel by bus and then train to her college in transit zone 1. Sometimes she (and my student daughter) do bus/seabus/train. (Vancouver Film School would just be one bus from me.) It probably takes her less than an hour but she's over the moon that I said I'd rent to her next year as well!

So you might find it cheaper to look for a rental in zone 2 maybe Burnaby or some parts of North Vancouver or even Richmond.

Engineer_abroad

As Snowy says the only place in Zone 1 she may be able to find something somewhat affordable would be the Lower East side (Sometimes referred to as Railtown, Spurtown or my personnel favoutire s**t show).

Whilst it is cheaper it is also the area of the city with the biggest issues in relation to homelessness and substance abuse and may not be suitable for someone just finding their feet.

I live in Yaletown (Yuppie central) and pay around $2000 a month in rent.

Burnaby, and New Westminister are nice areas and more affordable., especially as transit pass for zone 2 is not to much more than zone 1. As a guide monthly transit passes cost:

Zone 1: $93
Zone 2: $126
Zone 3: $172

All buses are zone 1 regardless of distance.

Snowy560

Yes New Westminster might be a good choice. I didn't think of that.

Engineer_abroad

If I could afford to buy in lower Mainland () it would probably be in New West. Big fan of what the city has been doing there.

Port Moody and Port Coquitlium are also worth looking at since the Evergreen line was opened. Means Zone 3 but still only about an hour to waterfront

ann m

Thank you for these comments - I appreciate you taking the time - all good things to start with.

scrubbedexpat091

East Vancouver you can find rooms for 500-800 month. Dont confuse the downtown east side and east Vancouver as its not the same.

Craigslist is a good start.

It is certainly doable to find rooms still.

Also see if the school has any bulletin boards or online groups students can post.

Better to live in Vancouver proper if one can as it will be easier to get to and from school.

Now if she doesnt want to share Vancouver might not be an option.

South Vancouver Marpole area also at times has rooms in the 500 to 800 range.

Really only a couple blocks in the entire city I would avoid, overall Vancouver is very safe for a city its size.

Does her school do the U Pass? It is a far more affordable transit option vs usual passes.

dbd33

Is she, by any chance, fluent in French?

ann m

Non.

Beautiful English accent though.

ann m

I don't think so - they quoted the same prices as Engineer_abroad above:

Zone 1: $93
Zone 2: $126
Zone 3: $172

Snowy560

U Pass is for public institutions. VFS is private.

scrubbedexpat091

Gotcha.

Snowy560

My daughter at SFU gets one so does my tenant at Langara but those are both public.

Siouxie

I'm presuming she's checked out all the student housing adverts for VFS and other websites referencing VFS students?

https://vfs.edu/accommodation
https://vancouver.homestaybay.com/en...er-Film-School
Student Housing: Vancouver Film School Off Campus Housing and Rentals all/1

There's a load more on google..

Edited to add, some of the homestay ones include meals..

PMM

Hi

1, As an aside the OP should know that his daughter will probably not be eligible for a Post Grad Work permit as the school is a private one.