Residence & Housing

On-Campus Residence: Your Home Away From Home

New friends, new home, new adventures! Living on-campus is an incredible opportunity to enjoy a safe, fun, and friendly community. Residence life is a huge part of what makes the Lakehead experience exceptional. From your very first day, you will meet new people from all around the world and start establishing friendships that will last a lifetime. 

Why Choose to Live On-Campus

Residence living has many benefits for you to consider – one of the most important being students that live in residence perform better academically! Here are a few others:

  • Higher likelihood of graduation
  • Safe and clean furnished room
  • Convenience to campus and classes
  • Abundance of on-campus support and services
  • Personal development and identity is enhanced and supported
  • Programming, events and supports within Residence

Living in residence provides you with a support system that will help guide you through the transition to University life.

Registering to Live in Residence 

Living in one of our on-campus residence units, you'll be only a few steps away from your classes and labs. Residence students enjoy additional supports and security and can take advantage of all of the social events Residence Services offers. 

We encourage you to register for Residence by the following deadlines. Submissions made after these dates will be considered pending room availability. 

Thunder Bay and Orillia - Residence registration for 2023 Spring / Summer is now open.

  • First day of Spring term is May 1, 2023. - Application Deadline is Monday, April 3, 2023.

Thunder Bay - Residence registration is open for 2023-2024 Fall / Winter 

Application deadlines:

High School Student - June 1, 2023
10-Month Student - June 1, 2023
Upper Year Student - August 1, 2023
International Student - August 1, 2023

Orillia - Residence registration forms for 2023-2024 Fall / Winter - AVAILABLE SOON

As you begin browsing the Residence options at the links below, keep the following things in mind:

  • You must complete and submit a Residence registration form online and pay a $600 down payment.
  • Once your residence registration is complete (including the form and submission of residence down payment), you will receive a copy of the residence contract.  
  • For other key dates relating to Residence, please visit: Residence Important Dates

For complete information about residence options, costs, meal plans, and more, please visit the Residence website for your campus:

Thunder Bay Residence     Orillia Residence 


Meal Plan Information 

Depending on which Residence option you choose, your meal plan will either be included automatically (Residence Halls) or optional (Apartments or Townhouses). 

Choose from a wide variety of cuisines including North American favourites, vegetarian, vegan, halal, gluten-free, and Asian food options. To explore all the dining options in the cafeterias and other outlets around campus, to view sample meals, and more, visit:

Thunder Bay Campus Meal Plan

Our Thunder Bay Residence has a mandatory meal plan for first year students living in Residence Halls, and an optional meal plan for students living in Townhouses or Apartments. 

Orillia Campus Meal Plan

Our Orillia Residence has a mandatory meal plan, however, students can choose from one of two different options.

Off-Campus Housing

If you choose to live off-campus, below are some of the ways you can find a room or apartment to rent:

You may also find the following Settlement.org links helpful:

NOTE: If you choose to pursue an off-campus housing option, Lakehead University strongly encourages you to view the accommodations before signing any rental agreement and paying a deposit, or have a trusted friend or family member view them on your behalf. 

Accommodation within close proximity to the university is very much in demand and can be difficult to find, particularly after the first week of September. Therefore, it is important that you try to arrive in Thunder Bay or Orillia as early as possible if you are planning to look for something off-campus.