8 things I learned while trying to rent a Toronto apartment that everyone should know

There's basically three types of rentals — none are perfect

When renting in Toronto (and probably everywhere, though I haven't tried renting anywhere else yet, so I actually have no idea), your main options are apartment buildings, houses, and condos.

Apartment buildings — or purpose-built rentals — are often owned and managed by a single company. They can be older, a little less flashy and weirdly competitive for places that still have beige carpet in the hallway.

Houses can mean basement apartments, divided-up Victorian homes, or some magical setup where you get outdoor space and parking if the universe decides to smile on you.

Then there are condos, which are the glossy, gym-equipped, amenity-forward, downtown-adjacent rentals that make you think you've won until you remember that you're probably renting from an individual owner and also have to obey condo board rules that may or may not hate guests, pets, fun, or any combination of the three.

Toronto rental listings are a trust exercise

One of the most consistent things I found is that the listing you see online may not actually reflect reality.

A place can say it's available, updated an hour ago, and listed at a certain price, only for you to call and find out that exact unit is gone or that the rent is somehow higher. The person on the phone would like to "offer you something similar" for several hundred dollars more and significantly less space.

Cool.

It seems like many renters learn quickly that listings are more like suggestions than hard, verifiable facts. If you see something you like, you absolutely MUST call to confirm the rent, availability, and move-in date, and see the space before signing anything.

Some websites are actually useful, but some are a scam roulette

The sites that came up most often as helpful for me were Viewit, Padmapper, Zumper, Rentals.ca, and Realtor.ca, depending on what kind of rental you're looking for. Viewit.ca seems to be a fan favourite among purpose-built rental properties and private landlords.

PadMapper and Zumper are good for browsing, filtering, and comparing. Sites like Realtor.ca and Condos.ca are more relevant if you're looking at MLS-listed rentals, which usually means condos or homes represented by agents – a personal favourite for me, because I would never do this process without an agent (queue "I'm just a girl in the world" - Gwen Stefani).

Then there's the darker corners of the internet: Craigslist, Kijiji, Facebook Marketplace. All of which can absolutely have listings, but also require a kind of hyper-vigilance that a girl with ADHD like myself does not have. The kind of safety precautions and micromanagement reserved for identity theft and online dating.

The universal rule seems to be this: never, ever, under any circumstances, send anyone money before seeing a place in person and confirming that the person renting it out is actually allowed to do so.

If a listing looks suspiciously cheap, suspiciously gorgeous, and suspiciously urgent – it probably is.

Realtors are a great help, but not with everything

One thing I didn't fully realize is that real estate agents are most helpful with MLS-listed rentals, and not necessarily with purpose-built rental buildings. So if your dream is a condo in a convenient location with a concierge, a realtor may absolutely help.

But if for some spots (often purpose-built rentals), you might be dealing directly with the building's leasing office or property management company instead. Which is to say, your rental destiny may depend on whether Susan in the leasing office answers the phone that day.

Timing matters way more than I expected

I once had a career psychologist visit my class in my MA program, and he told us that getting the job of your dreams was 50% luck and 50% preparation. Finding your dream rental is the same.

Apparently, most Toronto rentals hit the market only a month or two before they're available. So if you're trying to plan your life six months in advance, the market's response is a laugh in your face. A lot of renters say places move incredibly fast, so there's this awful sweet spot where you need to be early enough to find something decent but not so early that nobody will take you seriously. Basically, if you're not ready to move soon, the city would prefer you stop asking.

Prepare to spend... a lot

According to Zumper, "the monthly rent for an apartment in Toronto, ON is $2,316. A 1-bedroom apartment in Toronto, ON costs about $2,075 on average, while a 2-bedroom apartment is $2,650."

So yeah.. and that's just rent.

There are often utilities adding on, tenant insurance, parking, laundry, moving costs, furniture, Wi-Fi and whatever emotional support treat you buy yourself after realizing a studio now costs what a full apartment used to.

A LOT goes into applying for a rental 

You need documents, and then you probably need to get more documents, and if you think you have all your documents, then double-check because you definitely need to find more documents.

Common asks include proof of employment, pay stubs, references, previous tax documents, a credit check, emergency contact information, first and last months' rent, and maybe a blood sample or two.

Am I even exaggerating? Just slightly.

The overall vibe is: convince these people you are stable, organized, likable, and unlikely to become a problem.

You should know your rights because not everyone plays fair

Ontario tenants actually do have rights – a lot of them – and a lot of first-time renters don't know them yet (past me included).

My biggest recommendation is to read up on the Residential Tenancies Act before signing anything. This feels both helpful and a little terrifying.

There's also an Ontario tenant rights group online that you can join.