Landlords In Canada Are Using Cash, HomeSense Gift Cards & Wine Fridges To Attract Renters
One apartment even promises an "unforgettable experience of your choice."
If you'd take an iPhone for a one-bedroom apartment, you might be in luck. Landlords across Canada are using thousands of dollars worth of incentives to get people inside their apartments for rent, ranging from the bizarre to the brilliant.
According to research done by Rentals.ca, many landlords with smaller properties in Canada's biggest cities are trying to attract renters who otherwise might want more space. To do so, they're offering cash bonuses, discounts on rent, and even gift cards to try to entice renters.
For instance, this apartment on the outskirts of Calgary is offering a free year of internet and cable to draw in potential renters. Three hours north, this Edmonton apartment is also offering one year of free TV and internet as well as a $600 Amazon gift card with the signing of a 12-month lease.
If you're looking for the mystery box of rental incentives, this downtown Montreal apartment for rent not only offers two months of free rent but also "an absolutely unforgettable experience of YOUR choice," (though some conditions apply).
In North York, you can get yourself a $500 gift card to HomeSense, Costco or Wayfair for leasing. And in Toronto, the renter of this Parkdale one-bedroom could end up with two months of free rent, a fully stocked wine fridge, a $300 Ritual gift card and a $200 Netflix gift card.
If you'd prefer some furniture to put your wine glass on, however, you might prefer this North York apartment. The landlord there is offering renters the choice between a $1,500 gift card to furniture retailer Structube or an iPhone 12 Pro, as well as a $500 gift card to the Yonge Sheppard Centre and — you guessed it — a $300 Ritual gift card and a $200 Netflix gift card.