As the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in major cities in Ontario crept past $2,000 in April, sketchy listings dominated rental platforms like Facebook Marketplace, where some greedy landlords are getting creative in a bid to appeal to tight-budget tenants.
From rooms stuffed with multiple beds to strange tenant rules and minimal privacy, prospective tenants throughout the province have practically seen it all, and it doesn’t look like the constant stream of alarming listings will be slowing down anytime soon.
The latest questionable rental ad to make rounds on social media is a private room for $650 per month in Barrie. The rental might seem like a reasonable deal at first, but that’s before you consider the fact that the tenant is completely prohibited from using the kitchen.
The ad, which was posted to Facebook Marketplace, was quickly reshared on Reddit, where users shared their horror and disgust at a landlord banning a tenant from using the kitchen to cook, clean, and reheat their food.
Kitchen not available sorry guys!
byu/boringpretzel inSlumlordsCanada
“So what are people meant to do for food? If they want a cold drink? Just eat Wendy’s for breakfast?” one person asked, as others questioned how the tenant is supposed to store or cook their food.
“Okay, I will be plugging in a mini bar fridge, air fryer, hotplate, and microwave in the room. And there’s nothing saying I can’t wash the dishes in the bathroom sink,” another user wrote.
“This can’t be legal,” one comment reads, as others encouraged prospective tenants to report and avoid similar listings.
Despite this, some argued that the budget-friendly space might, unfortunately, be the only option for some tenants who are struggling to find housing in the province’s pricey rental market.
This isn’t the only head-scratching listing out of the province to go viral in recent weeks. Last month, a Toronto landlord was slammed for serving a potential tenant with a list of ridiculous rules, including no candle burning, showering only once a day, and complying with no-notice inspections.
The landlord also required the tenant to complete their monthly household task and keep the exterior doors locked at all times or otherwise be charged an additional $35 for rent.