The City of Kamloops consists of the following primary planning neighbourhoods: City Centre, North Shore, Valleyview, Dallas, Raleigh, Heffley Creek, Sahali, Aberdeen, Knutsford, Brocklehurst, Batchelor Heights, Westsyde. Juniper Ridge, Mount Dufferin, Rose Hill, Campbell Creek, Barnhartvale, Mission Flats, Tranquille on the Lake so do your research on where you plan to live and know your area. Here is the list of the Kamloops Postal Codes. One can click on the name of the selected neighbourhood to find the recent neighbourhood plan or Google one for your neighbourhood. The Kamloops Plan (KAMPLAN) can help one to know each area of the city.
There are many housing options in Kamloops. Whether you stay in Kamloops for few days or plan to live in Kamloops forever, here are some resources that can help you to find housing in Kamloops.
1. Short term housing options
The short term accommodations can be found on booking.com, Airbnb or on any other hotel booking websites. Check the reviews before choosing the place to stay that fits your needs. You can also check 30 tips on how to book on Airbnb for first time to ensure you have a pleasant booking experience
2. Apartment / house rentals
To find apartments for rent go on craiglist or kijiji You can review articles from Kijiji Central, such as, how to stay safe looking for apartments online, to get the most out of your Kijiji experience and to learn more about our users and Kijiji’s impact on the community. One can also try to find housing via Facebook Kamloops4Rent closed group.
3. Alternative housing options.
EwayKamloops website lists telephone numbers of organizations that can help with housing in Kamloops. The links to all organizations are provided below.
Kamloops & District Elizabeth Fry Society
Kamloops Aboriginal Friendship Society
Kamloops Brain Injury Association
Kamloops Native Housing Society
Life Skills Development Project
Ministry for Children & Family Development South Shore
Secwepemc Child & Family Services
White Buffalo Aboriginal & Metis Health Society
The comprehensive resource for affordable housing options in Kamloops is available from city of Kamloops website. BC housing has pdfs listings for Family, Singles & Couples, Seniors & Adults with disabilities and Seniors’ Supportive Housing options. Seniors’ Housing in BC guide is also online
4. Student housing
TRU Campus Housing provides general information on campus options for students who are interested to study at the Thompson Rivers University including residences and off campus housing options. Live your dream provides an alternative housing service for new international students at TRU.
5. Landlord and tenants relationship in British Columbia
A detailed Guide for Landlords & Tenants in British Columbia was developed by the BC residential tenancy branch. Government of BC provides a very detailed overview of Housing and Tenancy and includes helpful information on residential tenancies, strata housing, owning a home, senior’s housing, social housing etc. Tenantsbc.ca offers a comprehensive resource for landlords and tenants in British Columbia. Tenant Survival Guide is also available in pdf and wiki format. Kamloops Landlords’ Handbook is a resource for people who provide rental housing but can be interesting to anyone who rent the place. Here is another guide for landlords in BC. You can also access quick tips for landlords and tenants in BC on common topics about renting.
6. Buying a house/apartment in Kamloops
If one wants to buy the house the Real Estate Council of British Columbia offers a detailed guide on how to buy a home in BC. The Vancouver Sun also has a step by step article on tricks and tips on how to buy a house in BC. The Canadian Bar Association provides a detailed overview of the lawyer role in the house buying process. Check also BC government website on what is involved in buying/selling property. Kamloops Real Estate Blog provides more information with links to other relevant local resources. Use one of the calculators (Debt Service, Premium, Household Budget, Mortgage Payment and Mortgage Affordability) from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation website. Check the new Kamloops listings on craiglist and kijiji and Realtor.ca.
7. Intentional living in Kamloops
Kamloops also has an intentional living community. The RareBirds Housing Co-op members are aware that our co-op housing model is innovative. Our research indicates that we differ from the majority of housing co-op developments in that we are building a single family home with design features to allow both private and common living spaces for adult oriented, multigenerational community living.
Enjoy living in Kamloops and hopefully your housing needs and housing related questions can be answered by reading this post. If you have additional housing resources to share please e-mail okondrashov@tru.ca
Dr. Oleksandr (Sasha) Kondrashov 