About SubSwap.
SubSwap is a small team in Halifax. We built it because finding a room, and someone you can actually live with, was the hardest part of university for a lot of people we knew. That includes us.
Who we are
There are three of us. Faris and Abdelrahman graduated from Dalhousie in 2025, and Mohammad graduated from Saint Mary's in 2024. We started with students in Halifax and Atlantic Canada. Today the app works at more than 270 universities and colleges across Canada.
Faris Mohamed
Dalhousie University, 2025.
Mohammad Said
Saint Mary's University, 2024. Builds the app.
Abdelrahman Talaat
Dalhousie University, 2025.
Why we started it
We went through the Halifax housing scramble ourselves. Sublets and roommate searches mostly happened in Facebook groups and on Kijiji, and you never really knew who was on the other end. Finding a roommate meant messaging strangers and hoping it worked out.
SubSwap is our answer to that. You swipe through possible roommates and through places to rent near campus. Roommates are matched on things like sleep schedule, cleanliness, budget and study habits, and you can see why you match. A chat with another student only opens when you both say yes. The app is free.
How verification works
- Students sign up with a school email or their school's Microsoft account. That's how we know the person you're talking to goes to a real university or college.
- Landlords can't post a listing until our team has checked their business details and approved them.
- ID checks are optional. Students can verify a photo ID and a selfie through Didit to get a verified badge on their profile. Verified students can also choose to only see other verified people.
- Chats with other students only open when you both say yes. You can block or report anyone from a chat.
Our privacy policy explains what we collect and which outside services handle your data.
In the news
- Dalhousie alumni create housing app to help students find roommatesCTV News Atlantic, September 2, 2026
- Dal alumni create new matchmaking app for student housingThe Dalhousie Gazette, September 10, 2026
Where SubSwap works
We started in Halifax and know Atlantic Canada best. Our guides cover Halifax, Fredericton, Charlottetown, St. John's and the smaller university towns, and the Atlantic Canada overview links all of them. Students at any of the 270+ supported schools in Canada can sign up with their school email.
Get in touch
Email hello@subswap.ca. We're based in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
If you run an off-campus housing office or a student union and want a short description of SubSwap for your resources page, email us and we'll send one. The same address works for press.
You can also find us on Instagram and TikTok.