HOEM on Jarvis

Having lived here for the past 1 year. I can confidently say that Hoem on Jarvis is the best student residency ever! There's nothing more I could ask for in a student residency.

A special shoutout to the Student Life Manager, Cheryl, who is not only good at her job but also exceptionally friendly and helpful. She goes above and beyond to ensure that residents feel at home. The Student Experience Manager, Amran, is a sweetheart and extremely helpful. Both Cheryl and Amran played a significant role in making me feel at home during my time at Hoem on Jarvis.

In conclusion Hoem on Jarvis has exceeded my expectations, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fantastic student residency. I am happy to call it HOEM away from home!

I have really enjoyed every minute I’ve spent at Hoem on Jarvis! The team is constantly going above and beyond to create a welcoming environment, host really fun activities, and find ways for you to have the best experience possible. There is always something going on, and a friendly face to connect with. The people who live and work here (especially Cheryl) are great!

The rooms are super modern, and include everything you need - even a cleaning service!

The area is super convenient only a few minutes walk to Yonge and Dundas square, the Eaton Center, the TTC, grocery stores etc.

I would recommend living here to any student in the area.

I had a rather disappointing experience living at hoem Student Residence. The surrounding area is marred by a significant homeless population, creating an uncomfortable environment. Walking home on Jarvis was often an unpleasant experience due to frequent encounters with discarded needles on the floor.

The staff at the residence left much to be desired. Their lackluster attitude and unhelpfulness contributed to an overall negative living experience. Security personnel were caught engaging in inappropriate behavior, including talking negatively about fellow students within the residence, creating an unprofessional atmosphere.

Adding insult to injury, residents were forcefully charged for basic amenities such as bed, why can’t we just bring our own? The gym facilities, advertised as an amenity, were a letdown as the machines were consistently broken, rendering them unusable or the weights were dirty.

Overall, Hoem Student Residence fell short of expectations on multiple fronts, from the concerning neighborhood conditions to the subpar staff and amenities. Consider exploring other housing options for a more satisfactory student living experience.

If you’re a student nearby please checkout other residence.

I lived for a month in HOEM in 2018, we were the first group of students using it, it was amazing, good memories.

I’m a first year student who just moved into HOEM, as an international student the staff and the people here made feel at home with their good energies and amazing hospitality, Cheryl the Student life manager has incredible energy and welcomed me with the utmost hospitality and enthusiasm, she also organizes amazing and fun activities throughout the month for us to enjoy and have good bonding experiences together with the other HOEMies and always makes sure I felt comfortable in my new home which I thought was an incredible experience.

Hoem provided our family with amazing guidance, help and professionalism throughout the whole residence process.
Everyone was so nice, organized and helpful. Amazing first year experience for all.

I lived in HOEM last year and still follow them on social media - it looks like the events are even better this year! Cheryl at the desk was always super friendly and helpful too - that type of service is why I enjoyed my stay and makes HOEM stand out!

Hoem on Jarvis rocks! Having moved to Toronto from a different city, I previously lived in a not-so-nice student house before moving to Hoem. The difference is astonishing. The apartment views are breathtaking. The staff are outstandingly stellar. It is less of an apartment building and more of a giant shared student experience, with fun activities planned almost everyday by the staff, free treats, free Starbucks lattes, therapy dogs and even a PS5. There is always something to do in this building, and new friends to make.

I have lived in there for four years and it has been such a great place to live! The amenities and activities are amazing and so are the staff! The management team as well is all great and super helpful. Cheryl is super great and helpful and she plans great events in the building

HOEM on jarvis is an exceptional place to live for not only domestic but international students too as it’s located in the heart of downtown. Plus, we have a very friendly community here as the CAs or community assistants organize multiple events for HOEMies every week! I highly recommend it to students newly coming to Canada! Feel like home at HOEM on jarvis, see you:)

Living and working at HOEM has been an unforgettable experience for me! I’ve met life-long friends, experienced what is like about living downtown Toronto, and just an amazing people here made me who I am today. I am thankful to all the staffs who always had smile on their face and made HOEM a welcoming environment.

Living and working at HOEM has been one of the most formative experiences in my University Career! I love the positive environment the students and staff have created and how they always strive towards bringing together a larger, more inclusive community. The building itself promotes engagement and a healthy learning atmosphere, one that I think all students would benefit from!

To anyone planning on staying at Hoem, avoid staying here at all costs. My experience with Hoem on Jarvis has been horrible since the beginning. Firstly, they did not let me know if I was matched with the roommate I requested. My decision to come to Canada from abroad for the semester was heavily based on whether I could room with someone I was familiar with. They told me it was too confidential of information. They could have given a simple yes or no as to whether I was rooming with that person. They then proceeded to say it was confidential to even let me know what floor I was on, let alone who my roommates were. I was unable to come to Canada for the semester so I tried transferring my lease. A refund was not an option given by Hoem, which is ridiculous considering the cost of rent for a room that only fits a bed and a small desk. I attempted to transfer my lease and me and the person I was transferring it to both submitted our applications and were approved for the transfer. However after that, Hoem NEVER responded to our emails or calls to complete the lease transfer. Because of this, I had an insane amount of outstanding costs for a place I never stepped foot in. And the person taking over my lease never got a place to live, as Hoem never completed the transfer, and couldn’t come to University. Hoem also has an extensively long waitlist of students looking to stay there, and they refused to transfer my lease to someone on the waitlist. Hoem’s management is extremely unorganized, and unprofessional. They have no sympathy for students in difficult situations and deal with any issues by ignoring calls and emails.

Ridiculously expensive spot in a tiny room in a very sketchy neighborhood, you would have a better quality of life renting an apartment in a safer area. (The building offers rewards for good reviews, which is probably why there’s so many)

I have quite a few friends that live at hoem, and whenever I come to visit the desk is always so welcoming and ask about my day. The building itself is well kept and the decorations on each of the floors are so cool!

I stayed some weeks at HOEM Jarvis. I was expecting a better experience, in my first contact with the staff I already had problems. I’ve arrived early from Europe (around 11am), and they couldn’t stay with my luggage (only a medium baggage), their solution was “you can go to the Starbucks, and wait there for 4 hours. You can’t wait here”. So, I had to find a solution by myself… Fortunately, I searched online and found a store that could stay with my baggage until 3pm (they can suggest it for their next guests).

Regarding the apartment, I stayed in a 4 bedroom suite, it was ok… but they clean the sharing spaces only once per week (and very quickly), and this can be a problem (specially if you don’t have a very organized roommate). Also, there is a laundry inside the building, that you can use (the card costs 3$), only be careful with the dry machine, you should clean it before (I found a lot of dust inside). The staff, in general, can be more helpful.

Hoem is a nice enough place to live however I feel it is poorly managed and a big money grab. The apartments are nice and have good views for the most part. It is also helpful that the rooms are fully furnished. I lived here for 1 year and 4 months and had multiple issues arise during my time in this building. I signed a 1 year lease and was made to move to a different floor for the last 4 months without an explanation why. During those 4 months other people moved onto the original floor I was on. So I don’t understand why I was made to move. When I was moved to a different apartment the staff told me I was going to have to keep paying the higher rent for the 3 bedroom I was originally in while I was moved into a 4 bedroom, which goes against the contract. This became a big issue (which ended up being resolved only after having to send many many emails back and forth). Hoem had the unqualified students who work at the front desk deal with the problem when it should have been management. My roommate and I ended up talking to the operations manager Alex, who gave us attitude and was very rude to us even though she was in the wrong, telling us one thing and not following through with it, and was going against contract. Hoem did not take me or my roommate seriously and the issue was only resolved when my mom stepped in. After moving to the new apartment we had a 4th roommate move in without Hoem telling us they were coming. Hoem should’ve warned us that we were getting a new roommate to eliminate the shock of a stranger coming into the apartment in the middle of the night. They also did not supply us with the wifi password or the roommate agreement paper when we moved into the new apartment.

Hoem is pretty expensive and charges you for ridiculous things such as getting locked out of your room. There are better apartments you can find in Toronto for less money. The laundry room was also a disaster while I lived here. All the washing machines smell of mold and you can see the dirt/mold buildup along the rubber part in the machine. My roommate washed a blanket and it came out of the laundry machine filthy with brown dirt all over it which was not there before. A lot of the dryers also do not properly dry clothes. There was also a couple times the machines were not working and stopped the cycle halfway through, which ended up costing me more money to run the dryer multiple times to dry my sopping wet, half clean clothes. I also attended one of the Hoem events and did not feel welcomed. I went alone and was the first person there for the event. The staff that were running the event talked amongst themselves the entire time I was there. I don’t think they even said hi until I did when I arrived.

Overall Hoem is an okay place for students that are just moving to Toronto for the first time especially because of its location. For the most part, I enjoyed my 4 months (my first time living at hoem) when I was in my first year of university. It can be a good way to meet new people. However I would not recommend signing a 1 year lease. If you’re thinking of applying here just be aware that the building is very poorly managed and any issues that arise will most likely not be resolved in a professional or timely manner.

UPDATE: I reached out to Amran who responded to my review saying I could email to talk about my experience here. It’s been almost week and I have still have not received a response. This is yet another example of poor communication and management from this building.

I love living here! As a first-year student and my first time living alone it is a perfect mix of res and living in an apartment! I also love all the events and the community there is here:)

I have lived hoem for 3 years now and have had an amazing experience. The staff are friendly and the community is supportive. The HOEM staff work hard to create a safe welcoming environment for us students, especially through the various events they put on throughout the year. I would recommend to everyone to live in hoem as I made my best friends there.

My experience at HOEM was honestly unforgettable. I lived in HOEM for my first 2 years of university at Ryerson. Although the second year was during the middle of the pandemic, I was never bored as the team at HOEM offered numerous safe yet super enjoyable activities and crafts to keep us busy. I made my most best friends in those 2 years and I owe that all to hoem:)

HOEM is a great environment to live in, especially as a first year international student. I feel safe and welcomed here and the staff are very kind and helpful. From the amenities, to the prime location, and the diversity, I would definitely recommend living in HOEM.

HOEM was such a good res to live in, especially for my first year! I made so many amazing friends and the staff is super nice. The building itself is always clean and decorated, and anything that needs to be fixed gets fixed right away. I def recommend!

I was there for about 2.5 months and as I was there my mental health deteriorated a lot. First of all, they put me, a then freshman, with a senior as my roommate, which made it quite difficult to make friends due to the age gap. My roommates were most likely going to be my only friends as this was during the pandemic. Anyways, I ended up having to fly home for the remainder of the year because of my mental health and how bad of a time I had at Hoem on Jarvis. I had my Psychiatrist write a letter as to why she recommends I do not go back, but they still charged me over 10 grand. Even though they put me in a bad living situation and a professional said I shouldn't go back, they still bothered me about my lease and never cared. Overall bad experience with these people.

There are pros and cons to HOEM student residence:

Pros:
- It is indeed a very nice and modern place to stay as a student
- Bedrooms are cozy and bright with nice views
- Everywhere is new and works well
- Highly responsive email replies to problems and requests

Cons:
- Insane pricing, and they still try to charge you for so many little things on top of residential fees
- Do not be fooled by the cheery community involvement social media, depending on your experience you will still largely be isolated and struggle to form friendships
- Certain staff members can be very rude and cold
- The area is very sketchy and you may feel unsafe even during the day
- Very loud construction work on two sides

Horrible pricing. Huge money grab, scam. Wouldn't recommend, way too expensive for no reason. They will try to milk you for money any way they can.

HOEM was an alright place to live during my first year of University (pre-pandemic). The building is nice on the outside and it is definitely nice to have a kitchen, private bathrooms (shared with a roommate) etc. Also, one of my roommates became one of my best friends, and she still is! On more than one occasion, I was awoken at 5: 00 AM to screaming and screeching in the alleyway below the building. Not fun if you have an early morning class that day, but that's just one of the perks that comes with living in downtown Toronto. Unfortunately, most of the accommodations are pretty cheap. Things often break, the carpet is made of squares of fabric that are taped together, and the fridge can be compared to a mini fridge (imagine sharing between four people living in the space full time.). There is one printer machine in the building, and sometimes it would randomly just not work. Not to mention, setting up an account to be able to use that printer machine is sort of a hassle in itself. The staff were pretty helpful whenever you needed something in my experience, but I have heard different stories from other people. They have staff members who do repairs, so if there is ever an issue with something being broken, etc, it is fixed relatively quickly (also the men who would do the repairs were always super nice!) There is also a gym + yoga room in the building, but it smaller than a gym at a hotel. I would not recommend living here if you are trying to get a "typical" university experience - parties are frowned upon, security is extreme (the area is not the safest so although it is a good thing, it can be quite the hassle) so signing people in can be a nightmare (only allowed three guests and you have to sign them in twice depending on the time). There is also a limit to how many times you can sign a guest in during a specific time period. Really stupid given how 1) the rent is ridiculously expensive 2) there are no real free accommodations to take advantage of (such as food, free this, free that, etc) If you misplace a guest key card, or if you don't resign them in quick enough, you are automatically charged $15 (on top of literally EVERYTHING else that you pay for). I was also harassed by two RA's after not signing a guest in. They were EXTREMELY rude from the get-go, banged on my door as if the building was on fire, treated me as a four year old, and demanded I ride in the same elevator as them even though I told them I was not comfortable (nowhere in my contract did I agree to submitting to whatever the RA's demanded of me SORRY!), When I defended myself, it only became worse. Ultimately, I was written up for this issue and had to go to a ridiculous meeting, when my time could have been spent studying or at work. A simple "don't do it again" would have sufficed. You are also not allowed to have ANY guests during exam periods, which doesn't make a whole lot of sense seeing as how the apartments are pretty spread out, and because parties didn't happen very often it wouldn't have really mattered anyways. Laundry is also pricey ($5 a load) and sometimes the machines wouldn't wash or dry properly, which results in having to spend another $5 to wash your stuff again. I would recommend living at HOEM for someone who wants a quiet, more "luxurious" peaceful residence experience. Otherwise, Pitman or DCC is a better option. I also would not recommend living here unless you plan on staying the entire 12 months, you will most likely get screwed out of your money otherwise (you only receive money back if someone lives in your place + it costs $125 to fill out the form). Ultimately, there are aspects of living in this building that are overcomplicated for no reason. For the price that you pay, you are probably better off living in your own apartment off campus.

Super glad I decided to live at HOEM this year! The staff is kind and quick to resolve any requests I've had. I've made some of my closest friends living at HOEM and it truly feels like a community!

Lived here for 2 years of university, its clean, new and a great place to live. I love how its a student res made apartment style. Made all of my current friends while living here:) lots of good memories and great staff. An experience i'm glad to have had!

Great building for students! I’ve lived here for multiple years and had some of the best experiences of my life! The staff is beyond friendly, you have the opportunity to meet new friends, and every week there’s tons of events. Definitely take a tour and check it out:)

Staffs at HOEM are pretty friendly and helpful. Besides, the rooms are well equipped, which saves a lot of time and effort to settle down. Above that, there are many activities throughout the year for me to have fun and learn something new, especially the makerspace sessions.
As for the improvement that could be made, I think that could be the air conditioner control. It doesn't show current temperature and often reset itself to neutral. It would be better if room temperature could be set and displayed. Another thing is that there might be parties in the midnight and it's hard to find if the noise comes from next door or different level.

Best RA ever ———LAUREN! I’m a international student and I met lots of amazing people here, international student -friendly Rez haha. There are many activities and games take place every month, nice place!

Love living at hoem on Jarvis. They make sure that you are properly accommodated to your space. The staff are always ready to help. 10/10 would recommend
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It’s been a pleasure to have worked in such positive and friendly environment. My coworkers are like family and the friends I’ve made through the students here have made my university experience all the better!

Living in hoem has been amazing! The hoem team is always making the experience here 10/10. Super friendly and they care about the students.

I am currently living in HOEM and I enjoy so much of my night views from my window. I could definitely say having a big window is such a big merit! And also the biweekly cleaning service is lovely:)

The Ryerson Residence by HOEM is a very modern, clean and polished place. The welcome desk staff were friendly, helpful and made sure my little cousin had a stress-free move-in. They have underground parking available for dropping off residents and their belongings, large wooden trollies are also available that are light and easy to manoeuvre. The room I saw was clean, furnished, and lots of convenient items were already there, ready to be used. The pots, pans and utensils there were very clean and not worn out, nor did they seem overused.

Overall, a very pleasant experience. Freshmen will love this place!

Good luck to all on their university experience.

My daughter lived at this residence her first year at Ryerson. Our experience was excellent. The staff was always friendly and quick to respond any questions we had. Special shout out to Beth and Cassie in the office for always being available whenever we needed help. I would highly recommend this student residence.

I have lived at HOEM since the start of last summer. When someone leaves a 5 star rating for a student residence, it's a given that the personal interactions and facilities are exceptional. The focus of my review is based on my experience over the last 2 weeks. With the global pandemic going on and a lot of students and their parents concerned, it's very comforting to see how HOEM is really trying to keep the cleanest possible environment especially for public areas (the desk, the gym, and the big common/study room on the second floor). The staff diligently follow sanitary protocols and the maintenance crew regularly sanitize the high traffic areas (at least twice but maybe more: day and night). It's just a very reassuring response to current events especially if you consider, as a student, that this building is the only Ryerson residence that is still operating to accommodate students who are not able to move out and go home easily (this is the only Ryerson residence open to upper years). I just think that HOEM's response to the situation is very admirable and I can certainly feel the dedication to reassure the residents that staff are doing everything diligently for the sake of public health.

Very well friendly environment to stay and the staff were super kind to me. I met a lot of friends during my stay and whenever I had a issue it was quickly resolved. Would 100% recommend for any student who is looking for an dorm near Ryerson.

A very clean environment with excellent staff committed to the safety and security of the students in their care.i would highly recommend Hoem to anyone looking for a student residence.

We work with the staff at Hoem to bring yoga and fitness classes to the students who reside there. Not only is the staff a delight to work with, but it's great to see students have free access to the many health, wellness, and social programs that Hoem offers.

HOEM is a great space and provides a welcoming and comfortable environment for students! It's been such a pleasure working with the staff on-site. They are extremely informative and friendly. Definitely recommend that all Ryerson students check it out!

A "Class Act" facility and staff - I highly recommend them to anyone looking for student accommodation in the Toronto downtown-east area. They care greatly for comfort and safety of their residents and the upkeep of the facility. 5 well deserved stars!

HOEM is a great neighbour to Haven Toronto. Once a month a group of students volunteer for our lunch service program, serving meals to our clients. The team has made it evident they care about giving back to the community and encourage students to do the same. We are thankful for the support!

It's the perfect place for students to live! Everything is so modern and cool. There are tons to see and do here and the staff are helpful. I stayed here during my first year of University and I honestly think that it made my transition to a new school and a new country way easier!

I had the pleasure of staying at HOEM as a first-year Ryerson University student. Coming from a small town, the HOEM and Residence Life team were welcoming and helpful through my transition to Toronto. HOEM is modern, clean and filled with amenities not generally found in a res facility. Just a 5 min walk to the Ryerson Campus and Young & Dundas Square, HOEM is conveniently placed in the heart of the city with pretty much everything. Residence life can be overwhelming at first, but HOEM certainly exceeds typical expectations for most university/ college residence buildings in Canada (I have toured many). The price and value are equivalent to the Downtown Toronto rental market, in my opinion. You just need to take advantage of what is offered- some students clearly have not. I would recommend HOEM to any future post-secondary students!

I didn't even live here and have to give it 1 star. The people who work here are obnoxious and arrogant. I paid a $400.00 fee to apply, and then when I was no longer able to live there the charged me an additional $400.00 to withdraw. $800.00 and I wasn't even a resident.

DO NOT APPLY.

Very fancy student living accommodation (residences), brand new apartment style from Ryerson, but very expensive. Comes with a cleaning service.

I originally gave the place a 4/5 star review a months after I moved in. Let's just say my opinion has diminished of the place since then. I don't want to be unfair - the staff is friendly and responsive, and it's worth noting that I lived here during its first year open. However, I felt I had to lower my rating to 2/5 stars for a couple different reasons.

#1 - Community Building - I respect their attempts to promote an upbeat community early on, but it seemed that as the year progress there was almost no emphasis put on this at all. As a result, most people just stuck to their apartments and the people they had met during the first 1-2 weeks of school, and that gets stale.

#2 - Cleaning - This one bugged me quite a bit. There is a bi-weekly cleaning service, yes. But when they come they would do more of a 'surface clean'. Meaning that they would wipe down obvious things (counters, bathtubs, cabinets) but never once was there a deep-clean. I ended up having to do a lot of cleaning myself, and at that point I'd rather just not pay for the service at all.

#3 - Utilities - Why am I paying extra for utilities? This is the most expensive residence at Ryerson. On the website and in emails they say it's to promote environmental sustainability, which in itself is a noble initiative. However, surely there are ways to promote that without charging us. There are no motion-sensor lights or water preservation initiatives in place in the building, so it doesn't make sense to me why I would pay for these things.

#4 - Missing/Altered Building Features - This was really disappointing. On the website it says that there are a number of features which don't really function how you would imagine. For example, I have never seen the 'green roof' they have promoted under the environment tab. Students don't have access to it, so why are you promoting it? The Maker Space served as more of a meeting space for staff than I ever saw it used for anything else. And the wellness (fitness classes) were not well advertised.

Again, I want to say that this was their first year of operations, so if you're reading this a few years down the line, it's a safe bet that things have improved. However, this is my experience and I am recording it here so that the staff have access to the information, because without reviews from students it's hard to improve the satisfaction rate.

The wifi issues were resolved by the end of the year and it was working well, and any maintenance reports I ever filed were promptly addressed. Again, staff is friendly and helpful, even while dealing with a lot negative criticism.

Dont come to this place if u dont have any option or there is do or die situation the HOEM admin or what his post is bit his name is scott he thinks he is very smart. He gave my unit to someone temporaly that guy used my utilities and even used my stuff. I m still waiting for my compensation as promised but that guy/scott/cassie silenced me at that time. DONT COME TO HOEM.

Friendly staff, fire drills during the holidays, decent utilities but the water and electricity goes down every few months and the place costs 3 times as much as nearby apartments around campus. Not recommended unless you enjoy living without essentials.