5 Best Housing Options in Burnaby - 2026 Report Based on Resident Reviews and Facilities
Key Takeaways
Koto leads the list, Best for Student Housing in Burnaby: a five-minute walk to SFU Burnaby with all-inclusive furnished suites from $1,250/month.
SFU Residence & Housing is Best for On-Campus Convenience, but it also carries the widest review gap of the five: 3.1/5 from 51 reviews at the time of research.
BCIT Tall Timber Student Housing is Best for BCIT Students: a 469-bed mass-timber residence rated 4.8/5 from 14 reviews.
GEC Burnaby Heights is Best for Furnished Off-Campus Living, roughly a 20-minute direct bus ride from SFU.
Cornerstone at UniverCity is Best for Apartment-Style Living Near SFU, a two-minute walk from campus with Starbucks on-site.
Public ratings are a starting point here, not the whole verdict: location, what’s included in rent, and lease terms decide the rest of this list.
Finding student housing Burnaby renters can actually afford, and actually want to live in, gets harder every leasing season as SFU and BCIT students compete for the same beds. Koto comes out on top for 2026: a five-minute walk from SFU Burnaby, fully furnished suites from $1,250 a month with utilities and Wi-Fi included, and a 5.0/5 rating from 30 reviews at the time of writing.
Rent is only one line item. Distance to campus, furnishing, utilities, laundry, and lease flexibility all change what a room actually costs. This report compares five different formats: purpose-built student housing, a university dorm, a technical-institute residence, and apartment-style living, so students with different budgets can find the right fit rather than five interchangeable buildings.
No affiliate links and no commissions shaped this ranking, researched independently against public facilities data, official SFU and BCIT housing pages, and each property’s review count at the time of writing.
What to Look for in Student Housing Near SFU and BCIT
Five factors separate a good pick from a regretted lease when comparing student housing Burnaby options:
Distance to campus: a five-minute walk saves more real time over an academic year than it looks like on a map.
What’s included in rent: electricity, heat, internet, and furniture can add hundreds of dollars a month if they’re billed separately.
Lease flexibility: minimum terms, early-termination rules, and deposit caps vary sharply between a university residence and a private building.
Verified resident ratings: a rating only means something alongside its review count, 5.0/5 from 30 reviews reads differently than 5.0/5 from 3.
Living format: shared dorm rooms, private studios, and full apartments suit very different students at the same price point.
The 5 Best Housing Options in Burnaby for Students in 2026
Housing Option | Best For | Location Advantage | Public Rating* |
Koto | Student Housing in Burnaby | 5-minute walk to SFU | 5.0/5, 30 reviews |
SFU Residence & Housing | On-Campus Convenience | On SFU Burnaby campus | 3.1/5, 51 reviews |
BCIT Tall Timber Student Housing | BCIT Students | On BCIT Burnaby campus | 4.8/5, 14 reviews |
GEC Burnaby Heights | Furnished Off-Campus Living | ~20-min direct R5 bus to SFU | 3.4/5, 23 reviews |
Cornerstone at UniverCity | Apartment-Style Living Near SFU | 2-minute walk to SFU | 4.5/5, 36 reviews |
*Public business-profile ratings captured during research and subject to change. Ratings alone don’t determine this ranking; facilities, cost structure, and lease terms carried equal weight.
1. Koto - Best for Student Housing in Burnaby
Koto sits at the University Crescent on Burnaby Mountain, inside SFU’s UniverCity neighbourhood. Simon Fraser University’s own off-campus housing page lists Koto as an official housing partner and describes it as offering “fully furnished studios to 4-bedrooms” a five-minute walk from SFU’s Burnaby campus.
Five minutes from SFU Burnaby. That commute is Koto’s clearest practical advantage: a five-minute walk instead of a transit transfer, with cafés, a grocery store, and Burnaby Mountain’s trail network within reach.
Fully furnished, all-inclusive suites. Rates start at $1,250/month per room, with utilities, Wi-Fi, in-suite laundry, and air conditioning included. Floor plans range from a 447-square-foot studio to a 1,703-square-foot four-bedroom plus two dens, and Koto is advertising a month free on all floor plans plus 1.5 months free on two-bedroom suites at the time of writing (worth confirming directly, since promos shift).
Two 6-storey buildings make up the property, and REMI Network reports Koto is the first project at UniverCity to offer four-bedroom homes, developed by Rize as the company’s first purpose-built student housing rental.
Facilities designed around student life. SFU’s own partner listing independently confirms Koto’s fitness centre, bike repair station, and study and social lounges, on top of secure bike storage and an outdoor terrace with direct trail access.
Roommate matching and flexible terms. Students can choose a one-, two-, or three-year arrangement while committing one year at a time, with the option to move out after 12 months without fees under Koto’s current stated terms.
Resident reviews. Koto is showing a 5.0/5 average from 30 Google reviews, verified live, a smaller sample than an established residence like SFU's own, worth weighing alongside the facilities detail above rather than the number alone.
Students comparing student housing Burnaby options can explore Koto’s current floor plans, pricing, and availability directly.
"Beautiful building with great amenities close to SFU. The leasing team is great, the units are furnished so no need to bring much, will make moving in much simpler!" Ariella Stober David, 5 ⭐ on Google
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Most recommended for: Students who want new-build, all-inclusive furnished housing within walking distance of SFU and don’t want to negotiate utilities or furniture separately.
Get in touch with Koto:
Address: 9516 University Crescent, Burnaby, BC V5A 0H3
Phone: 236-317-5576
Social: instagram.com/live_koto
2. SFU Residence & Housing - Best for On-Campus Convenience
SFU’s own campus houses several distinct communities rather than one building type: the undergraduate Towers, Courtyard Residence, McTaggart-Cowan Hall, shared townhouses, and separate graduate and family housing.
What comes with SFU Residence. Basic furnishings, Wi-Fi, and laundry are standard, with shared kitchens in select buildings. First-year residences generally come with required meal plans, while upper-year townhouses offer private rooms with shared common space.
Resident feedback. SFU Residence carries a 3.1/5 average from 51 Google reviews, verified live, the largest sample here but also the lowest rating. On the independent study-review platform iAgora, one reviewer put it plainly:
"The campus accommodation is very far away from downtown... staff were rude, and the townhouses were very old and dirty." Lisa L, 1.2 ⭐ on iAgora
Not every review was that critical, but it's a genuine data point against the convenience of living on campus.
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Most recommended for: First-year students who want the full campus experience with zero commute, and don’t mind that some SFU buildings are considerably older than off-campus alternatives.
Get in touch with SFU Residence & Housing:
Address: 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6
Phone: 778-782-4201
Social: instagram.com/sfureslife
3. BCIT Tall Timber Student Housing - Best for BCIT Students
Tall Timber is BCIT’s newest residence on its Burnaby campus, and it’s a genuinely different building than anything else on this list. A 2025 BC government release confirms the 12-storey residence added 469 student beds, more than doubling BCIT’s on-campus housing capacity, backed by a $129 million provincial investment plus $3 million from BCIT Foundation donors.
Built differently, on purpose. The same release notes Tall Timber is the tallest mass-timber building in Burnaby, built to BC's Energy Step Code 4 (the province's highest efficiency tier) and certified Net Zero by the Canada Green Building Council.
Facilities and privacy. Rooms are a mix of communal-style singles and studios, with a ground-floor common area, outdoor plaza, and dedicated study and office space.
Resident rating. Tall Timber holds a 4.8/5 average from 14 Google reviews, verified live, the highest rating on this list, though on a smaller review base than the more established options.
Best fit. This is the clear pick for BCIT students specifically, not a realistic SFU alternative, since BCIT’s campus sits several kilometres from Burnaby Mountain.
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Most recommended for: BCIT students who want new, purpose-built housing directly on campus without a commute.
Get in touch with BCIT Tall Timber Student Housing:
Address: 3700 Willingdon Avenue, Burnaby, BC V5G 3H2
Phone: 604-432-8677
Social: facebook.com/bcit.ca
Worth noting: BC’s government has funded roughly 1,298 new student housing beds across SFU and BCIT’s Burnaby campuses since 2023, over $447 million in combined project costs, part of why newer buildings like Koto and Tall Timber are entering a market that’s historically run short on purpose-built student beds.
4. GEC Burnaby Heights - Best for Furnished Off-Campus Living
GEC Burnaby Heights sits at Gamma Ave, and SFU’s own off-campus housing page lists GEC Living as a second official partner, describing it as providing “fully furnished off-campus housing options exclusively for college and university students.”
Access to SFU. SFU states GEC Burnaby Heights is roughly a 20-minute direct R5 bus ride from campus, a trade-off against Koto or Cornerstone’s walking distance, offset by GEC’s larger scale and service model.
Furnished housing with services included. Rent covers in-suite laundry, housekeeping, and all-inclusive utilities, backed by 24/7 emergency support and on-site staff. GEC markets itself as Burnaby’s largest off-campus student residence, with monthly rates spanning roughly $1,100 to $2,500.
Resident reviews. GEC Burnaby Heights carries a 3.4/5 average from 23 Google reviews, verified live, the second-lowest rating on this list, worth weighing against its lower starting price and full-service model.
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Most recommended for: Students who want furnished, serviced housing with built-in support staff and are comfortable with a short bus commute to SFU.
Get in touch with GEC Burnaby Heights:
Address: 438 Gamma Ave, Burnaby, BC V5C 0J7
Phone: 604-669-6686
Social: instagram.com/gecliving
5. Cornerstone at UniverCity - Best for Apartment-Style Living Near SFU
Cornerstone is a genuinely different format from the rest of this list: an apartment-style building in UniverCity, not a purpose-built student residence or a university dorm.
Location. At 8950 University High Street, Cornerstone is roughly a two-minute walk to SFU’s Burnaby campus, with Starbucks on-site and the rest of UniverCity’s shops nearby.
Residential alternative near SFU. Units are fully furnished, with the property currently mid-renovation on shared amenity spaces, expected to finish in early summer 2026 under newer ownership and management.
Resident rating. Cornerstone carries a 4.5/5 average from 36 Google reviews, verified live, the second-highest rating on this list.
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Most recommended for: Students who want conventional apartment-style independence within walking distance of SFU, rather than a dorm-style or purpose-built student residence.
Get in touch with Cornerstone at UniverCity:
Address: 8950 University High Street, Burnaby, BC V5A 4Y8
Phone: 604-636-7107
Social: facebook.com/studenthousingburnaby
Is Student Housing in Burnaby Worth the Cost?
The number on a listing isn't the real monthly cost, what's excluded from rent matters just as much as what's advertised.
Look Beyond the Monthly Rent
A cheaper unfurnished apartment can look like the better deal until the extras show up. Furniture, internet, utilities, transportation, laundry, and household equipment all add up fast when they aren't bundled into rent.
Calculate the Real Monthly Cost
A simple way to compare fairly: rent + utilities + internet + transportation + furniture + laundry + parking = actual housing cost.
Run that math before ruling an option out on sticker price alone, since two listings with the same advertised rent can land far apart once everything is added up.
Convenience Has a Value
Housing within walking distance of campus can cut transit expenses, commute time, moving costs, and furniture costs, savings that never show up on a rent listing but still hit a student's budget. That's not a claim that any one option here is the cheapest; it's a reason to weigh location and what's included alongside the number on the lease.
FAQs
How much does student housing cost in Burnaby?
Rates here start around $1,250/month at Koto and run up to roughly $2,500/month for larger private units at GEC Burnaby Heights. Check what’s bundled in, all-inclusive rent can be worth several hundred dollars a month over a unit billed separately.
Is it better to live on campus or off campus near SFU?
On-campus housing removes the commute, but SFU Residence specifically carries the lowest resident rating on this list (3.1/5). Off-campus picks like Koto or Cornerstone keep the walk under five minutes with newer furnishings.
How much deposit do I need to pay for student housing in BC?
Under BC’s Residential Tenancy Branch rules, a landlord can charge up to half a month’s rent as a security deposit, plus another half-month as a pet damage deposit if applicable, capping most deposits at one month’s rent total.
What makes Koto different from Burnaby’s other student housing options?
Koto combines the shortest SFU commute among off-campus options, fully bundled utilities and Wi-Fi, and the newest facilities on this list. It’s also independently listed by SFU itself as an official off-campus housing partner.
Is Koto only for SFU students, or would it work for BCIT students too?
Koto is built around SFU’s Burnaby Mountain campus, a five-minute walk away, so it’s the strongest fit for SFU students. BCIT students are better served by Tall Timber, directly on BCIT’s own campus.
The Bottom Line
Koto stands out as the top pick for SFU students searching for student housing Burnaby in 2026, combining a five-minute campus walk, all-inclusive furnished suites from $1,250/month, and the newest facilities on this list. SFU Residence, BCIT Tall Timber, GEC Burnaby Heights, and Cornerstone each serve different needs: zero-commute campus life, BCIT-specific housing, full-service furnished living, or apartment-style independence.
Check current availability directly with each property, confirm what’s included in rent, and read the lease terms before signing. Whichever option fits, the research above should make that decision considerably faster than starting from scratch.
