FAQ
General questions
Q. Who can I speak with if I have questions about McGill residences?
A. Contact information for the Residence Admissions Office, the Graduate Housing Office, and for individual halls can be found here.
Q. How do I apply for housing?
A. Application procedures vary depending on your student status at McGill. For information on how to apply for undergraduate student housing at McGill's downtown campus, click here. For Macdonald campus residences, click here. For downtown graduate student housing, click here.
Q. What is the First Peoples' House?
A. The First Peoples' House is a shared facilities residence that gives priority accommodation to Aboriginal students, followed by non-Aboriginal graduate students if space is available. Check out their website for more information.
Q. Does McGill have any resources for students who do not qualify for on-campus housing?
A. McGill's Off Campus Housing Office helps students begin their search for rental accommodation in Montreal, advises students facing housing difficulties, and provides listings of available off-campus housing.
Q. Do any of the on-campus residences have family accomodations?
A. There are no family residences on either of the McGill campuses, but the Off Campus Housing Office has many resources to help students with families find housing.
Q. Do I need to be a student to use McGill's summer accommodation?
A. No. Summer accommodations at McGill University are open to the general public from mid-May to mid-August, and range from quality hotel-style accommodations in our New Residence Hall (formerly the Hotel du Parc), to comfortable lodging for budget-minded travelers in our dormitory-style residences and student apartments.
Downtown undergraduate
Q. I'm a new undergraduate student. Am I guaranteed a room in student housing?
A. Yes, provided that you meet certain eligibility criteria, which can be found on the Eligibility and application process page of this site.
Q. How do I choose which student residence I want to live in?
A. On the residence application form you will be asked to rank your preferred residences, however final hall assignments are determined by lottery.
Q. What kinds of accommodations are available for undergraduate students on McGill's downtown campus?
A. McGill has a number of apartment-style, shared facilities, and dormitory-style residences on or near its downtown campus. A description of each hall can be found here.
Q. How much does student housing cost?
A. Fees vary depending on the type of accommodation. Consult the table of undergraduate housing fees for a complete list of rates for each residence.
Q. Is there a meal plan included in my residence fees?
A. Meal Plans are available for all students residing in Undergraduate Residences at McGill. For more information on meal plans, please visit McGill Food and Dining Services for details.
Q. What are McGill's "Living-Learning Communities," and how can I become involved?
A. Visit the Living-Learning Community page of this site to find out more about McGill's five Living-Learning Communities.
Q. What are residence councils?
A. There are a number of McGill student residence councils that offer a forum for students to voice concerns and promote ideas, organize social events, and advocate student interests to residences and McGill administration. Check out the Residence councils page of this site for complete descriptions of each council, and to learn how to become involved.
Downtown graduate
Q. How can I apply for graduate student housing?
A. Click here to learn about application procedures for graduate student residences.
Q. What kinds of residences are available for graduate students?
A. Most graduate student housing consists of shared facilities housing, although some apartments are available. Check out the graduate student residences section of this site for more information.
Q. How much does graduate student housing cost?
A. Housing costs vary depending on the facility. Consult the table of graduate housing fees for the rental rates of each building.
Macdonald campus
Q. I will be attending McGill's Macdonald campus in the fall. How do I know if I'm eligible for student housing?
A. First-year undergraduate students are guaranteed accommodation. Check out the Macdonald admissions section of this site for more information.
Q. What kinds of housing is available at the Macdonald campus?
A. Full descriptions of the Macdonald campus residences can be found here.
Q. How much does Macdonald campus student housing cost?
A. Housing fees vary depending on the residence. Consult the Macdonald campus fee table for full information.
Q. Am I allowed to have pets in residences?
A. No, for health and safety reasons McGill does not allow pets in its residences.
Q. What are the quiet hours?
A. 11h00pm to 7h00am (regular time;) 9h00pm to 9h00am (exam time)
Q. Where can I get groceries?
A. There are grocery stores nearby and a shuttle bus service is offered once a week.
Q. Can I have visitors in my room?
A. Yes - a maximum of 2 at a time.
Q. Is a cable connection supplied in each bedroom?
A. No, there are no cable connections in the individual rooms. Common TV rooms are located on every floor of both residences.
Q. How does the linen service work?
A. Every Tuesday morning you can choose to have your bed sheets changed for clean ones. The fees for this service are already covered in your lease. However, towels are not supplied, you have to bring your own.
Q. Is there a meal plan and/or cafeteria at Mac?
A. There is a cafeteria, but there is no meal plan offered on campus.
Q. What is provided in the kitchen?
A. Stoves, fridges, microwaves, toasters. Laird Hall and EcoResidence residents are also allowed to have a small fridge (not exceeding 5 cubic feet) in their rooms.
Hall Directors and Student Academic Staff
Q. Who are residence hall directors?
A. McGill residence halls are headed by live-in faculty members, post-doctoral fellows, senior management staff and others closely connected with the McGill community. Find out more about our current directors and how to apply to be a director here.
Q. I'm an upper-year undergraduate. How can I become involved in residence life?
A. There are a number of residence staff positions open to upper-year undergraduates, including Assistant Directors, Floor Fellows and MORE Fellows. Check out the Residence staff section of this site for descriptions of each position and information on how to apply.