With the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Toronto now easily surpassing $2,400, it’s proving more and more difficult to find a budget-friendly accommodation that doesn’t sacrifice privacy.
In an effort to appeal to those strapped for cash, landlords across the GTA have resorted to creative — and in specific cases, totally illegal — ways of transforming unconventional or small spaces into “living accommodations” for prospective tenants.
From bedrooms filled with bunk beds to beds in the middle of kitchens and mattresses stuffed at the tops of staircases, there is no shortage of questionable listings in the GTA’s rental market, and this latest ad is no exception.
This particular listing advertises a furnished and shared room in Mississauga for $600 a month, with the only caveat being that you’ll have to share the space with three other people.
Share a room with 3 other girls for $600/month!
byu/mybluntside inSlumlordsCanada
The ad was quickly reshared on Reddit, where users shared their horror and disgust at a landlord filling up a room with multiple beds with little to no privacy for the tenants.
“Everyone needs to start reporting these illegal housing units. Whether you report on Kijiji or to the city it doesn’t matter, everyone needs to start making noise. I’m not even a renter and I’m downright outraged at what’s happening,” one person wrote.
“If you’re charging money it must be private, and have a full egress window. Otherwise I think this needs to be advertised as the full room. aka 2400 for a single room with no furnishings, bathroom, kitchen,” another comment reads.
“Imagine thinking it’s okay to cram 4 people in one room and make $2400 in revenue. F*cking hell,” another person said.
The listing also notes that tenants must pay for extra parking and share a laundry room, living room, kitchen, and bathroom, leading some to compare the space to a boarding school or even a prison cell.
“Sh*t like this makes me so mad. People struggling and these greedy f*cks gonna charge outrageous prices for shitty living spaces,” one Reddit user wrote.