If you're arriving in Ottawa to study, the paperwork side of renting can feel like the biggest unknown — especially when you have no Canadian credit history and you're trying to secure a place before you land. The good news: the requirements are predictable, most are documents you already have or can get quickly, and not having a credit score does not make you un-rentable. Here's exactly what Ontario landlords typically ask for, what's legal for them to require, and how to handle the credit-history gap.
The core document checklist
Most Ottawa landlords will ask for some combination of the following. Have digital copies ready before you enquire, and you'll move faster than the next applicant:
- Passport — your primary government-issued identification.
- Study permit (or your port-of-entry approval letter if you've just arrived) — confirms your legal status to study in Canada.
- Proof of enrolment or acceptance — a letter from the University of Ottawa or your institution confirming you're a registered or admitted student. This is often the single most useful document you have.
- Proof of funds — recent bank statements, a scholarship letter, or evidence you can cover the rent. Because you likely won't have a Canadian credit history yet, landlords lean on this instead.
- A guarantor's details (sometimes) — a co-signer, usually a parent, who agrees to cover the rent if you can't.
- A GIC statement (if you have one) — many students arrive with a Guaranteed Investment Certificate as part of the study-permit process; the statement doubles as strong proof of funds.
- References (occasionally) — a previous landlord or a character reference, though newcomers are rarely expected to have a Canadian rental history.
The credit-history gap: how to solve it
This is the concern nearly every arriving student raises, and it's routine to solve. A landlord may use a credit check to gauge whether you're likely to pay — but when you have no Canadian credit file yet, there are well-established alternatives. Ask the landlord which of these they accept:
- A guarantor / co-signer — a parent or Canadian resident with strong income and credit who signs on. This is the most common solution.
- Proof of funds — bank statements or a GIC showing you can cover several months (sometimes up to a year) of rent.
- A scholarship or funding letter — official confirmation of guaranteed income.
- A larger prepayment of rent — some landlords accept a few months of rent paid in advance in place of a guarantor. (Note the legal limits below — this is a grey area, so get any arrangement in writing.)
Purpose-built and professionally-managed student residences are generally more flexible on documentation than a private landlord renting out a single condo, because they welcome international students every term and already have a process for it. When you enquire, simply ask: "I'm an international student without Canadian credit history yet — what do you need from me?" A good operator will have a clear, practised answer.
One practical tip: if any of your documents are in a language other than English or French, ask whether a certified translation is needed before you send them, and prepare it early. Having clean, translated, clearly-labelled files ready to go often makes the difference when two applicants are competing for the same unit — the organised one usually wins.
What a landlord can — and cannot — legally require in Ontario
Knowing the rules protects you from being over-charged or unfairly refused:
- Deposit limits. In Ontario, a landlord may collect a rent deposit of at most one month's rent, and it must be applied to your last month of tenancy. "Damage deposits" and non-refundable holding fees beyond a small key deposit are not permitted. Be very cautious of any request for two or three months of "damage deposit," especially before you've seen the place.
- You cannot be refused solely for lacking Canadian credit history or being a newcomer. Ontario's Human Rights Code protects tenants against discrimination based on place of origin, citizenship and related grounds. A landlord may consider income and ability to pay, but refusing you only because you're new to Canada or have no credit file — while accepting the alternatives above from others — can be discriminatory. You're entitled to have your whole financial picture considered.
- Guarantor requests must be applied fairly. Asking for a guarantor is common and legal, but a landlord shouldn't demand one only from certain groups of applicants while waiving it for others.
If something feels off — a demand for a huge upfront deposit, or a flat refusal the moment you mention you're international — that's a signal to look elsewhere and, if needed, to contact the University of Ottawa's housing or international office for guidance.
Your printable-style pre-arrival checklist
Copy this into your notes and tick each item before you start applying:
- [ ] Passport (clear scan)
- [ ] Study permit or approval letter (scan)
- [ ] Proof of enrolment / acceptance letter from your institution
- [ ] Recent bank statements (last 2-3 months)
- [ ] GIC statement, if you have one
- [ ] Scholarship / funding letter, if applicable
- [ ] Guarantor's name, contact and their income/credit details, if you'll use one
- [ ] A written summary of your monthly budget in Canadian dollars
- [ ] Questions ready to ask each landlord: exactly what's included, deposit terms, lease length
Having these organised does two things: it speeds up your application, and it signals to landlords that you're a serious, reliable tenant — which matters more than a credit score ever would.
Booking from abroad, safely
Because many international students sign before they arrive, take the standard precautions: rent from a verifiable property with a real address and reviews, ask for a virtual tour, understand the deposit rules above, and never send money by wire transfer, gift card or crypto to "hold" a place you haven't verified. A professionally-managed residence with a public website and a real leasing team is the lowest-risk way to book sight-unseen.
That's part of why furnished student residences work so well for arriving students: Riverflow Residences, a 7-minute walk from the University of Ottawa, is used to welcoming international students each term, offers virtual tours, and can walk you through exactly which documents it needs before you fly — so the paperwork is sorted before you land, not after.
Riverflow Residences welcomes students of every background. We rent on the basis of housing fit and availability, in full compliance with the Ontario Human Rights Code. 'International student' here describes study status only.