As the average price of a one-bedroom apartment in Toronto surpassed $2,450 in May, a handful of landlords throughout the city’s rental market continued to take advantage of tight-budget tenants by offering wallet-friendly accommodations that skimped out on privacy or cleanliness.
From makeshift “bedrooms” separated by rickety tarps, beds located in the middle of kitchens, and rooms packed to the brim with beds, prospective tenants in and around Toronto have seen it all at this point, and it doesn’t look like the influx of questionable listings will be slowing down anytime soon.
The latest “horror rental” to make rounds on social media is a basement apartment in Scarborough listed on Kijiji for a staggering $2,000 per month.
Despite already being a pricey accommodation, the landlord of the listing notes that they are looking for four tenants to occupy the two bunk beds in the room.
That’s right. The shared listing, which comes out to $500 per month for each tenant, includes two bunk beds, two shared washrooms, and one shared kitchen, with utilities and internet included.
4 people to share a bedroom in Scarborough basement for a total of $2000/month
byu/mybluntside inSlumlordsCanada
As if the living arrangements weren’t alarming enough, the landlord also notes tenants must pay for laundry “per use” and are prohibited from parking on site, inviting guests over, or smoking.
“Must be respectful, responsible, quiet, clean, organized, keeps room tidy. No pets, no pods or other drugs, no loud music, non-smoker,” the landlord wrote.
Moreover, the landlord also asks tenants to provide a long list of documents to be considered for the space, including a previous landlord reference letter, credit report check, pay stub or proof of income, first and last month’s rent, as well as a deposit.
The landlord’s stringent requirements, along with the room’s head-scratching setup, ignited discussions on Reddit, where the listing was reshared.
“This honestly makes me sick and is beyond infuriating. It should be 500 for a bedroom to yourself, not sharing,” one person wrote in response to the listing.
“Dude wants a credit report and first and last to stay at his hostel?” another person commented.
Others encouraged those browsing rental platforms to report similar listings and landlords advertising crowded accommodations.
Other horror listings in Ontario’s rental market that have been making the rounds on social media lately include a dingy shack for rent in Sudbury for $1,350 per month and a $650 bedroom in Barrie with no access to the home’s kitchen.