© 2019, Springer Nature B.V. The purpose of this study was to understand the subjective resettlement experiences of Syrian refugees to Canada. The Canadian government committed to accepting 25,000 Syrian refugees between November 2015 and February 2016. Since that time, increased pressure has been placed on settlement agencies to find suitable housing for these families in a shorter time-span than usual. This study assessed the settlement experiences of 17 Syrian refugee families in a mid-sized city with a particular focus on housing and landlord relations and the overall settlement experience. Data collection involved in-depth interviews with one or more family members from each family, facilitated by an interpreter. These interviews were then analysed using thematic analysis to produce qualitative descriptive results. The themes speak to barriers to housing stability, including housing quality/safety/cost, balancing the needs of children versus the family as a whole, gaps to community integration, and downplaying the need for assistance.