With Toronto’s average rent for a one-bedroom apartment now well above the $2,400 mark, a select group of greedy landlords continue looking for ways to capitalize on tight-budget tenants by listing unconventional rent spaces at affordable prices.
From beds stuffed at the tops of staircases to mattresses plopped in the middle of kitchens, prospective tenants in Toronto have virtually seen it all, but a recent Kijiji listing blows many of the city’s viral sketchy listings out of the water.
This latest questionable rental to make rounds on Reddit is a literal closet advertised as a bedroom for $750 per month. As seen in the photos, the closet is packed with a bed and a TV, with the tenant presumably having to sleep with their clothes hanging over their face.
“Wonderful space in an apartment with a large balcony. It has a shared bathroom, kitchen, and living space,” the listing reads.
Despite the future tenant’s limited space, the landlord asks for an extensive list of requirements, including paying the first and last month’s rent, putting down a $200 deposit providing a copy of photo ID, two references, as well as a letter of employment or proof of income.
$750 to live in an actual closet
byu/mybluntside inSlumlordsCanada
As expected, dozens of Reddit users took to the thread to share their horror and disgust at a landlord advertising such a space for rent.
“The fact that they’re asking for TWO references and proof of employment for a damn closet is insane,” one user wrote, while another joked that the tenant will probably get Harry Potter as a roommate, referencing the character’s tiny cupboard under the stairs.
Many called on the landlord to face repercussions for listing a space that is clearly not liveable and does not have any windows.
Unfortunately, this listing is hardly the only horror rental to surface in the past few months. Other landlords to face criticism recently include one in Toronto who listed a shared living room for $550 per month and one in Mississauga who advertised a bedroom stuffed with four beds for $600 a month per person.