A quick guide to housing options for trans, non-binary and other gender diverse students.
With a wide variety of residence and room types available at UBC, use this guide to help you find the residence and unit or room type where you’ll be most comfortable.
On this page:
Guide for gender diverse students
Check out our guide for gender diverse students to learn more about the process of applying, indicating gender identity and receiving room assignments for trans, non-binary and other gender diverse students.
Housing options and gender
In residence at UBC, we primarily offer single-gender housing options, but also some all-gender options. The three types are:
- Single-gender housing for students who identify as women.
- Single-gender housing for students who identify as men.
- All-gender housing for students of any gender identity.
Single-gender housing
Rooms and floors in residence for students who identify as women or men—and for non-binary students who indicate a preference to be placed in a single-gender room or suite for students who identify as either women or men.
All-gender suites
All-gender suites are for students of any gender who indicate on their application an interest to live in an all-gender unit/suite, and students may be assigned to live with roommates with the same or a different gender identity.
Availability for all-gender suites is limited, and we can’t guarantee placement, but we do our best to prioritize placement in these units for students who identify as a gender other than man or woman and/or have trans experience.
Beyond gender, when making room assignments, we also consider lifestyle preferences indicated in the application, such as tidiness, alcohol use and sleep habits.
Please note that if you are assigned to an all-gender suite, we can’t guarantee a specific configuration of genders among your roommates.
Recommended room types
Here is an overview of our recommended room options for trans and non-binary students, with added clarification about gender and washrooms.
Find options for Winter Session residence (first year and upper year students) or Year Round residence (upper year and graduate students).
Winter session room types
- Single traditional or shared traditional rooms on a floor with a community washroom. Some of these rooms are on single-gender floors with one single-gender community washroom, while some are on all-gender floors with two single-gender community washrooms. Mostly first year residents live here.
- A single room in an all-gender building. Floors and community washrooms are all-gender. Mostly first year residents live here.
- A connected single room. Two single rooms with a washroom shared between them. Typically, the residents of the two connected single rooms identify as the same gender or both indicated an interest in an all-gender room. Floors and buildings are all-gender. Mostly first year residents live here.
- Shared suites—two, four or six bedrooms. A private bedroom, with a shared kitchen, living room and bathroom. Most of our shared suites are single gender, but we do have some all-gender suites and plan to create more. Mostly upper year residents live here.
- Individual suites—Studio or one bedroom. Your own living/sleeping, kitchen and bathroom, which is not shared with another student. Mostly upper year residents live here.
Year round room types
- Shared suites—two, three, four or six bedrooms. A private bedroom, with a shared kitchen, living room and bathroom. Most of our shared suites are single gender, but we do have some all-gender suites and plan to create more.
- Individual suites—Nano, Studio or one bedroom. Your own living/sleeping space(s), kitchen and bathroom, which is not shared with another student.
Washrooms and gender
In our traditional first year residences (Place Vanier and Totem Park) with community washrooms, our washrooms are primarily single gender. However, in c̓əsnaʔəm leləm̓ at Totem Park, we have introduced all-gender washrooms.
In all other Winter Session and Year Round residences, which offer shared suites, in-suite washrooms are shared by roommates and guests, regardless of gender.
Place Vanier and Totem Park
Single-gender washrooms
Most of our community washrooms are single gender. On floors that are all-gender, there are two single-gender washrooms.
All-gender washrooms
In c̓əsnaʔəm leləm̓, located in Totem Park, we offer all-gender washrooms on each floor.
All residents, regardless of gender, use the same washroom.
All-gender washroom features
- Showers: individual shower stalls, with floor-to-ceiling walls and doors.
- Toilets: individual toilet stalls, with floor-to-ceiling walls and doors.
- Sink area: a shared sink area, which can be used by multiple students at a time.
Take a virtual tour of a c̓əsnaʔəm leləm̓ floor by visiting the Totem Park virtual tour and clicking “single traditional room”.