McGill Macdonald Campus Housing

Choose Laird if you want a larger dormitory community and can accept shared floor facilities. McGill says Laird welcomes undergraduate students from both campuses, so a Downtown Campus student may apply; the long intercampus trip still needs to make sense for that student's timetable.

Choose EcoResidence if you want a private bedroom and apartment-style independence. McGill says it primarily accommodates upper-year undergraduate and graduate students. Availability and assignment are not promises of a particular building or room type.

McGill's 2026–27 schedule sets an 8.45-month lease from August 20, 2026 to May 2, 2027 for both residences. Rent is billed monthly. Every listed room also has a $400 oneCard charge and a $35 Residence Life activity fee, each due once at the end of September. McGill says rates may change without notice, so verify the e-bill and current fee page before committing.

The monthly figures below are the official published rents, not all-in academic-year totals. Add the $435 in one-time charges and budget separately for groceries, cooking supplies, transport and any parking fee.

For 2026–27, the standard first step was to request residence on the admission application. Students who omitted that request should contact Housing. After accepting admission, wait one business day, then complete the Macdonald housing form in the oneCard portal.

Follow the email instructions to accept the Minerva housing agreement, rank rooms and complete the roommate questionnaire. Pay the $500 reservation deposit, credited to your student fee account, plus the $35 non-refundable application fee. Keep the confirmation.

The guarantee covered newly admitted undergraduates aged 22 or younger on September 1 who were starting university for the first time. They had to accept admission, confirm residence and pay the deposit by the deadline. First-year renewable entrance-scholarship recipients were guaranteed a Laird single if they notified Housing.

Applications for 2026–27 are closed. McGill says 2027–28 applications will open in March, without a day. New confirmation deadlines, fees and lease dates remain unpublished. June 14, 2026 was the old confirmation deadline; it does not apply to Fall 2027.

Macdonald Campus residence students do not buy the mandatory downtown residential meal plan. Laird has shared floor kitchens; EcoResidence apartments have their own equipped kitchens. The required $400 oneCard amount can be used at eligible locations, but it is not an all-you-care-to-eat plan.

McGill currently lists Café TWIGS and the Ceilidh Restaurant on campus, plus vending machines and the seasonal Mac Market. Its food guide also lists a free weekly grocery shuttle to Maxi and grocery delivery from Provigo and Maxi. Hours and vendors can change, so check the live dining page and plan a grocery routine before move-in.

McGill treats an accepted residence offer as a lease under Quebec law for the academic year. Its fee page warns that students who withdraw for academic or non-academic reasons can remain financially responsible. The cancellation schedule varies by student group and date, so use the Macdonald Campus section of the current policy before cancelling.

The 2026–27 dates and prices are planning evidence for that cycle only. Fall 2027 applicants should wait for the 2027–28 application page, fee table and cancellation schedule before paying or comparing an off-campus lease.