Living in residence at Trent is the best way to build community, make friends, and feel safe and at home on campus from day one. Everything you need is taken care of – your room comes furnished, you’ll have a dining plan, Wi-Fi, laundry, secure facilities, and fun residence events all included.
First-Year Students
- Residence is guaranteed for first-year students who apply by the deadline.
- Available at Peterborough Residences and Durham GTA Residences.
Upper-Year and Graduate Students
- Residence options are available for upper-year and graduate students, subject to availability.
- Housing includes dedicated Upper-Year and Graduate Residence buildings.
Ready to find your home on campus? Explore our buildings, room options, and fees on our webpages:
- Peterborough Residences
- Durham GTA Residences
- Upper Year and Graduate Housing
- Residence Fees and Payments
Information for First Year Undergraduate and International Students
Below, you can find information about:
- How to Apply
- Who is Guaranteed
- Housing Lottery System
- Accessibility & Unique Needs in residence (AUN)
- Key Dates
- Creating or Joining Roommate Groups
- Room Self-Selection
- Cancellations
Apply to Residence
Applications for residence are now open!
First-year and international students are guaranteed a residence space by submitting an online residence application and the $600 Residence Advance Payment no later than June 3, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET.
What You Should Know Before You Apply for Residence
- Applications are not first-come, first-serve.
- Students who submit a residence application and pay the residence advance payment by the June 3 deadline are guaranteed a bed in residence. All guaranteed students will be placed in a time slot lottery to pick their room.
- All first-year students living in residence are required to purchase a Dining Plan, in addition to residence housing fees.
Students who miss the deadline to secure their guaranteed space may apply to the residence waiting list. You are not required to submit a residence advance payment with your online residence application to the wait list – it is only if/when Housing is able to offer a guaranteed spot from the wait list will you be required to secure your space with a payment.
Who is Guaranteed Residence?
All incoming undergraduate first year and international students are guaranteed residence. If you apply for residence and pay the $600 residence advance payment by the guaranteed deadline, you will be guaranteed a bed in residence for the academic year.
While your bed in residence is guaranteed, the guarantee does not include your preferred building, college, and/or room type. Students select their own rooms during room self-selection, based on the self-selection time slot they receive.
To live in residence, students must be enrolled in and registered for courses throughout their stay.
How the Housing Lottery Works
Students who apply and pay their Residence Advance Payment by the residence guarantee deadline of 11:59 p.m. ET on June 3, 2026, will be entered into a randomized housing lottery to pick their rooms. The lottery assigns each student a room self-selection time slot, which determines when they can log in to the Student Housing Portal to choose their room. Time slots are randomly assigned, giving all eligible students a fair and equal chance to select from the available spaces.
Accessibility & Unique Needs in residence (AUN)
Students requesting individualized accommodations in residence due to medical, disability or religious needs, should complete the Accessibility & Unique Needs in Residence Request Form as part of the residence application process.
Requests must be submitted no later than June 5, 2026.
Requests will be reviewed by Student Housing staff and students will receive an email confirmation of the outcome. Our goal is to ensure student accommodation needs are reasonably and thoughtfully met, as a result, Student Housing may assign approved AUN students to a residence bed space. Details about required Attesting Professional documentation is available on the Accessibility & Unique Needs in Residence webpage or directly within the residence application on the Student Housing Portal.
Key Dates
February 4: Residence application opens
June 3: First-year residence guarantee deadline
June 8-17: Create or join a roommate group
June 11: Accessibility and Unique Need assignments completed
June 22-27: Room self-selection period
September 6: Move-in Day
How to Apply to Residence
To apply for a bed in residence, follow these steps to log-in to the Student Housing Portal:
- Login to MyTrent
- Click on Support tab at the top right
- Click Student Housing on the left-hand side menu
- Click Student Housing Portal (see image below).
- Complete your residence application.
Submit a fully completed residence application through the Housing Portal.
We encourage you to apply for residence as soon as you apply to Trent - you don’t need to wait until you’re accepted. - Submit your $600 residence advance payment through the Student Housing Portal, which is split into:
$500 Residence Advance Payment – a credit applied toward your overall residence fees
$100 Non-Refundable Residence Application Administration Fee
*Please note: The residence advance payment is separate from your tuition deposit and is only collected through the Student Housing Portal.
Creating or Joining a Roommate Group
Students can create or join a roommate group through the Student Housing Portal during the roommate group creation period from June 8 – 17. Students can only select roommates who share the same gender preference: Male, Female, Gender Inclusive Housing and all roommate requests must be mutually approved in the Student Housing Portal.
Students who select a Winter Break Stay option may only request roommates who have also selected Winter Break Stay, as the students are required to live in residence-specific room types - premium suites in Champlain, Lady Eaton, and Gzowski Annexes, - which are equipped to accommodate students staying in residence over the Winter Break.
When creating a roommate group, students are encouraged to discuss important living considerations in advance, such as Winter Break Stay, lifestyle preferences, and shared expectations.
During room self-selection, the roommate group member with the earliest room self-selection time slot will pick the room and assign beds for their approved roommate(s). Students with approved roommate(s) will select from available beds that can accommodate their roommate group size: suites, double rooms, and adjoining premium singles in Gzowski College or Durham GTA.
Tip: Make sure everyone in your group has accepted the roommate request during the roommate group creation period.
Room Self-Selection
Residence rooms are assigned through a room self-selection process, which allows students to choose their own residence space through the Student Housing Portal.
Students who are guaranteed residence and who submit a complete application and required payments by the residence guaranteed deadline will be included in the room self-selection time slot lottery.
How Room Self-Selection Time Slots Work
- Your time slot is the date and time when you can begin selecting a room
- Once your time slot opens, you will have a limited window of time to choose your bed space. The exact deadline for your selection will be included in your time slot notification email.
During room self-selection, available rooms and bed spaces will appear in real time. Once a space is selected by another student, it will no longer be available.
Tip: If you are part of a roommate group, the group member with the earliest time slot will select the room and assign beds for approved roommates. Please refer to Creating or Joining a Roommate Group above.
Cancellations Prior to Move-In
If your plans change and you need to cancel before your move-in date, you must let us know by completing the Cancellation step in the Student Housing Portal.
If you cancel your residence application, part or all your Residence Advance Payment may be forfeited, depending on when you submit your cancellation through the Student Housing Portal.
| Date of Cancellation Received | Residence Advance Payment Refund |
| For September Arrivals: If cancellation is received on or before June 5, 2026 | Applicant receives a 50% or $250 refund |
| For September Arrivals: If cancellation is received after June 5, 2026 | Applicant receives NO REFUND |
| For January Arrivals: If cancellation received on or before December 1, 2026 | Applicant receives a 50% or $250 refund |
| For January Arrivals: If cancellation received after December 1, 2026 | Applicant receives NO REFUND |
The $100 Residence Application Administration Fee paid at the time of application is non-refundable.
How to Apply to the Residence Wait List
If you miss applying to residence by the guaranteed deadline, you may apply to the residence wait list after June 3, 2026. Wait list applications are ordered by the date and time of submission. You are not required to make a Residence Advance Payment to join the wait list; the payment is only required if/when you are offered a room selection time slot or a room assignment offer. You can view your wait list details on your Application Status Page in the Student Housing Portal.
Information for Upper Year Undergraduates in Level 2-5 and Graduate Students
Are you an Upper Year, or Graduate Student, or a Student with a Family Wanting to Live in Residence?
Trent Housing offers a limited number of residence spaces for upper year, graduate, and students with families. Returning undergraduate students in Levels 2-5, as well as Graduate students (Masters, PhD, or Post-Graduate Certificate), and Students with Families are encouraged to explore our Housing for Upper Year, Graduate and Students with Families or Off-Campus Housing options.
