General information about rental housing in Ontario
http://www.settlement.org/topics.asp?section=HO:LIVEONT
What kinds of housing are common in Ontario?
Whether you rent or buy, you can choose from many different types of housing.
Here are some common examples:
• Apartment (suite, flat)
Usually includes 1 bedroom or more, a kitchen, a bathroom and a living room. A bachelor or studio apartment has 1 room for sleeping and eating.
May be in a building or a house.
There are highrises (6-30 stories high with an elevator) or lowrises (fewer than 6 stories high, often with no elevator and called a "walk-up").
Generally, apartments are owned by a landlord and managed by a superintendent who lives in the building.
• Condominium (condo)
A type of home ownership where you buy a unit in an apartment building or townhouse complex, but do not own the land. Owners sometimes rent condos to tenants.
Condominium owners join together in a corporation and elect a board of directors to manage the building and the land. Each owner pays his or her own mortgage, taxes, utilities and a monthly fee towards property maintenance.
• Duplex and Triplex
A house that is divided into 2 or 3 separate apartments, one on top of another. The owner of the house may live in one of the apartments.
May be a detached house, semi-detached house, or a townhouse.
• Room (shared accommodation)
A room in an apartment, house or other type of accommodation that is rented to 1 person. The tenant usually shares the kitchen, bathroom and living room with other tenants.
Furniture is often included. Meals may be included.
Some types of housing may be more available in certain cities.
Many community agencies can help you find information about renting or buying a home. To find help in your area, go to Services Near Me.
For More Information
• Choosing a Safe Place to Live – Tips to help you choose a safe neighbourhood and building to live in.
• Child-Friendly Neighbourhoods - Information about how to choose a healthy neighbourhood for children.
• An Introduction to Renting in Canada - A guide for tenants and landlords.
• Settling in Canada - Profiles of some of Canada's major cities and regions.
How can I find housing before I arrive?
Finding housing is a difficult task at the best of times. Finding a place to live before you've even arrived in Canada will not be easy, but it is not impossible. It is important to keep in mind that what you might consider adequate accommodation in your country of origin might be very different here.
There are a number of ways to start looking for housing before you arrive. Since places can be quite different from how they look in pictures, it is recommended to see the place in person before you make the final decision to rent or buy it.
• Send a family member ahead of time
If possible, a family member could arrive 1 - 2 weeks before the rest of your family. This person could stay in a hotel or hostel for that short period and find appropriate accommodation for the rest of your family. Once here, they could access the services listed below, especially settlement agencies.
• Housing help centres
Housing help centres help people find affordable housing. Usually it is free to use this service.
• Settlement agencies
Settlement agencies provide services to newcomers, including help with finding housing, employment, and access to any other service or information you need to get settled.
• Classified Advertisements
Local newspapers usually have advertisements for house renting and buying. Landlords usually place their ads 1 - 2 months before they want someone to move into their property. It's not a good idea to rent a place without seeing it first in person. However, visiting these ads will give you an idea about the price and availability.
• Real Estate Rental Services
Also known as Property Rental Management or Rental Locators. Although they usually work with landlords, some of these companies help tenants find housing. There is usually a fee for this service.
• Phonebook
The phonebook (or the "Yellow Pages") lists real estate rental services.
Many community agencies can help you find information about renting or buying a home. To find help in your area, go to Services Near Me.
How can I look for rental housing?
There are many different ways you can look for an apartment or house to rent in Ontario. Here are some examples:
Bulletin Boards
Look in community centres, laundromats, grocery stores and other local businesses. If you are a student, check the boards at college and university housing services.
Classifieds
The advertisement section of major daily newspapers and weekly community newspapers have list rentals. You can read the newspaper for free at public libraries. Many newspapers let you search their classifieds ads online for free. Find your local community newspaper's website.
Family and Friends
Many people find places to rent through personal contacts. Ask your friends, family, co-workers and others if they know of any places that are available.
Rental Guides
These guides are free. Look for them in boxes on street corners or in store entrances.
Rental Listing Websites
There are many websites that list rentals. Here are some examples and you can use a search engine to find others.
* These listings are for your information only. Settlement.Org does not recommend or endorse any particular listing.
• Craigslist
• GottaRent.com
• GSC Rentals
• homeTRADER.ca
• Kijiji
• Rent Compass
• Rentit.ca
• RentSeeker
• Viewit.ca
Rental Locators
These are private companies that search for housing for you. There is usually a fee for this service.
Signs
Walk around neighbourhoods that interest you and look for signs that say "For Rent" or "Vacancy" in front of apartment buildings or in house windows. Even if there is no sign, you can ask if any apartments are available or will become available soon. Ask if you can be put on a waiting list.
Housing help centers and community agencies maintain lists of rentals. To find help in your area, go to Services Near Me.
How much does it cost to rent an apartment in Ontario?
The numbers in this article are from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
Published in 2011.
The cost of renting an apartment or house depends on the size (number of bedrooms), the community and neighbourhood where it is located, and the age and condition of the apartment or house.
Prices vary from city to city and from year to year. Generally, smaller cities have lower rental costs than larger cities.
You can find information about average rent prices in past years in CHMC Rental Market Reports. For local rental market information, please contact your local CMHC branch. You can also look in the classified ads in your local newspaper or check online housing listings. You can also call a housing help centre or community agency about rental pricing and trends. To find help in your area, go to Services Near Me.
Private Apartment Average Rents (C$) by Bedroom Type, 2011
Bachelor 1 Bedroom 2 Bedroom 3+ Bedroom
Barrie C$681 C$884 C$1,001 C$1,126
Brantford 654 726 792 900
Guelph 620 797 903 1,036
Hamilton 549 722 884 1,133
Kingston 623 804 965 1,215
Kitchener 608 751 889 1,010
London 533 710 881 1,053
Niagara Region 555 699 833 926
Oshawa 669 819 941 1,075
Ottawa 727 899 1,086 1,322
Peterborough 610 769 899 1,122
Sudbury 510 688 840 923
Thunder Bay 518 641 772 959
Toronto 819 977 1,149 1,349
Windsor 482 625 753 880
Source: COSTI Immigrant Services
