Trying to find a place to rent in the GTA that’s within your budget range, in proximity to transit or grocery stores, and doesn’t come with a complete lack of privacy can be like trying to find a needle in a haystack.
And considering that it’ll also cost you an average of $2,100 to lease a one-bedroom apartment in the region, it comes as no surprise that plenty of horror listings have infiltrated the rental market.
Just take this bedroom listing in Burlington’s Shoreacres neighbourhood for example, which bans its tenant from using the home’s kitchen, but still costs a staggering $1,200 per month.
According to the listing, the furnished bedroom is perfect for a “single female or male,” and offers a separate entrance to the garage, a separate washroom, but no access to the kitchen.
Instead, the tenant is allowed to use a fridge, microwave, separate “kitchen” sink and an electric kettle in the garage, but will not have access to a stove, oven or dishwasher.
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The ad was quickly reshared on Reddit, where many users expressed their horror and disgust at a landlord asking a tenant to use a makeshift kitchen in the garage to cook, clean and reheat their food.
“Surprised the bed wasn’t in the garage also,” one person wrote in response to the listing.
“The ad also mentions garage space is included so you would be preparing meals next to your vehicle. Not exactly the most hygienic place to do so,” the thread’s original poster added.
Despite this, some pointed out that the accommodation might be on the more affordable end for some tenants who might be struggling to acquire housing in Ontario’s exorbitant rental market.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the only time a landlord in the province has gone viral for implementing bizarre rules for their tenants. Back in April, another landlord in Toronto was blasted for serving a prospective tenant with a list of head-scratching rules, including only showering once a day and complying with no-notice inspections.
On top of these restrictions, the landlord also asked that the tenant complete their mandatory monthly household task or otherwise be charged an additional $35 for rent.