Housing decision · University of British Columbia
Build a realistic first-year living plan
- 1EligibilityGuarantee and application rules
- 2OptionsBuildings, rooms, communities
- 3Full costResidence, meals, deposits
- 4CommitDeadlines and backup housing
University of British Columbia Residence & Housing
Vancouver, British Columbia
Housing, commute, campus setting, and city fit. This focused guide keeps the detailed tables, official sources, and practical next steps in one manageable reading path.
Reviewed August 13, 2026 · Information checked against official university sources · How we review guides
UBC Residence Guarantee, Housing Dates & First-Year Planning
UBC residence: 2026–27 costs, meal plans, and the first-year guarantee
Both campuses publish full 2026–27 Winter Session rates, and neither has released 2027–28 rates or guarantee conditions yet. Use the tables below to budget with real, labelled figures, and treat the prior-cycle May 1 and June 1 guarantee dates as a working pattern to verify, not a promise.
2027–28
Vancouver first-year guarantee for Fall 2027
Not yet published. The criteria on the current page are for Winter Session contracts starting August/September 2026: UBC application and Winter Session residence application received by May 1, offer of admission accepted by June 1, and entry directly from high school or CEGEP.
Open the residence application when you apply to UBC — do not wait for an admission offer — and re-check this page when 2027–28 criteria appear.
UBC Student Housing and Community Services: Vancouver first-year residence guarantee criteria · Verified August 13, 2026
2027–28
Okanagan first-year guarantee for Fall 2027
Not yet published. Current criteria: eligibility by age and an 18-credit Winter Session load, UBC and residence applications received by May 1, offer accepted by June 1, and entry directly from high school or CEGEP. New first- and second-year international undergraduates receive additional consideration.
Treat May 1 and June 1 as the working pattern and verify the 2027–28 page before relying on them.
UBC Student Housing and Community Services: Okanagan eligibility, first-year guarantee, and priority access · Verified August 13, 2026
UBC Vancouver first-year and Winter Session rooms
Winter Session contract, September 5, 2026 to April 28, 2027. Fees are per person and subject to Board of Governors approval. Totem Park, Place Vanier, and Orchard Commons totals include the required residence meal plan.
| Residence | Room type | Room fee | Required meal plan | Winter Session total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Totem Park | Compact Shared Room | $4,441.00 | $7,712.32 | $12,153.32 |
| Totem Park | Shared Room | $6,376.00 | $7,712.32 | $14,088.32 |
| Totem Park | Single Room | $7,935.00 | $7,712.32 | $15,647.32 |
| Place Vanier | Shared Room | $6,376.00 | $7,712.32 | $14,088.32 |
| Place Vanier | Single Room – Private Bathroom | $8,514.00 | $7,712.32 | $16,226.32 |
| Orchard Commons | Shared Room – Shared Private Bathroom | $8,253.00 | $7,712.32 | $15,965.32 |
| Orchard Commons | Single Room – Private Bathroom | $10,425.00 | $7,712.32 | $18,137.32 |
| Ritsumeikan-UBC House | Single Room – Shared Unit | $9,110.00 | Not required | $9,110.00 |
| Walter Gage | Tower Single Room – Shared Unit | $8,763.00 | Not required | $8,763.00 |
What the $7,712.32 meal plan buys
The required 2026–27 Winter Session plan at Totem Park, Place Vanier, and Orchard Commons combines $7,210.56 of all-access dining at three dining halls with $501.76 in Flex Dollars. Suite-style Walter Gage and Ritsumeikan-UBC House rooms have no required plan, so compare the full room-and-food obligation rather than room rent alone.
UBC Okanagan rooms in Kelowna
Winter Session contract, September 2, 2026 to April 24, 2027. Fees are per person; where a meal plan is mandatory, it is already included in the published total.
| Residence area | Room type | Meal plan | Winter Session total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Similkameen Place | Single Traditional Room | Included in total | $14,178.02 |
| Valhalla, Kalamalka, Nicola, Cassiar & Purcell | Semi Suite | Included in total | $15,367.02 |
| Cassiar | Single Solo | Included in total | $15,789.02 |
| Skeena | Semi Suite / Single Solo | Included in total | $15,996.02 / $16,418.02 |
| Nechako | Semi Suite / Single Solo | Included in total | $16,420.02 / $16,841.02 |
| Lower/Upper Cascades | Four-bedroom suite (A–C rooms / D rooms) | Not included | $8,383.00 / $8,804.00 |
| Monashee Place | Four-bedroom suite | Not included | $8,164.00 |
| Monashee Place | Studio / one-bedroom (19+ by December 31) | Not included | $9,986.00 / $12,010.00 |
Current process
Residence application basics
A $50 non-refundable application fee applies, Vancouver and Okanagan require separate residence applications, and submitting an application does not by itself guarantee an offer.
UBC Student Housing and Community Services: Vancouver residence essential application facts · Verified August 13, 2026
2026–27
Okanagan winter break closure
Okanagan residences and Pritchard Dining Hall close for winter break from December 23, 2026 at noon and re-open January 3, 2027; the mandatory closure is written into the residence contract.
UBC Student Housing and Community Services: Okanagan residence important dates, 2026/27 · Verified August 13, 2026
Apply early
Open the residence application when you apply to UBC rather than waiting for an admission decision. In the 2026 cycle, the guarantee required both applications by May 1.
Watch the campus
Vancouver and Okanagan use separate residence applications, offers, room inventories, and fee schedules, each with its own $50 application fee.
Keep funds ready
Vancouver residence offers give seven days to accept and pay the first room-and-meal-plan instalment; Okanagan offers give a limited window with the first instalment due on acceptance.
Vancouver first-year residences also close for the holidays from December 23, 2026 to January 4, 2027, with the last meal at breakfast on closing day. Students who cannot travel home mid-year should ask Student Housing about stay-through options before accepting an offer, and should compare off-campus transit and lease timing as a backup.
Official UBC housing sources
- Vancouver first-year residence guarantee criteria
- Vancouver residence important dates, 2026/27 Winter
- Vancouver residence essential application facts
- Vancouver residence fees by residence area
- Totem Park fees, 2026/27 Winter Session
- Place Vanier fees, 2026/27 Winter Session
- Orchard Commons fees and residence meal plan, 2026/27
- Walter Gage fees, 2026/27 Winter Session
- Ritsumeikan-UBC House fees, 2026/27 Winter Session
- Okanagan eligibility, first-year guarantee, and priority access
- Okanagan residence important dates, 2026/27
- Okanagan residence fees and payments
- Okanagan traditional semi-private fees, 2026/27
- Similkameen Place fees, 2026/27
- Lower/Upper Cascades fees, 2026/27
- Monashee Place fees, 2026/27
Official Sources and Next Steps
Stellar keeps this guide structured for comparison, but official university pages remain the source of truth for program requirements, tuition, residence, scholarships, deadlines, and policy changes.
Prepared by Stellar Advisers Editorial Team · Reviewed August 13, 2026 · Editorial, corrections, and source methodology