Hundreds of post-secondary students who arrived in Toronto to find their downtown off-campus residence wasn't ready, learned Sunday it could be weeks before they move in.

"They told us we might move in next week or in a week and a half," said student Renee Vettivelu. "Or maybe even longer. It just sucks on all the stressed out students that just want to go to school."

On Sunday, building owners Knightstone Capital met with the students and told them it will offer shuttle buses between their hotels and downtown Toronto.

Students from across Canada and around the world paid thousands of dollars to live in the privately owned, for-profit residence at the corner of Jarvis and Carlton streets.

The building — the former Primrose Hotel — is supposed to have condo-style amenities, but students learned Thursday that it was not yet complete.

The building owner is paying to house the students in hotel rooms because of the delay, but families are still frustrated.

At first, the students were put up at hotels in downtown Toronto, but over the weekend, they were moved to properties in the suburbs.

"I thought I'd be living in amongst big city life," said Ashley Morford, a University of Toronto PhD student. "And that's part of the reason why I was interested in applying to U of T is because I like downtown Toronto and I wanted to be able to have something to do right outside my door all the time."

Knightstone Capital declined a request for an interview.