Toronto Rental Guide:
Tips & The Process

Looking for a rental in Toronto and unsure where to begin? My Toronto Renting Guide aims to inform you on all aspects of the process, and answer all the questions you have (or didn’t think to ask.)

Index

  1. Rental Pathways
    Explore the three main avenues for your rental search: Private Rental Listings, Purpose-Built Rentals, and the benefits of Working with a Realtor.

  2. The Rental Process
    A step-by-step guide to navigating your rental journey, from identifying your needs to finalizing your lease and moving in.

  3. Documents Needed
    A detailed breakdown of required documents for employed individuals, self-employed applicants, and students, including special considerations for guarantors.

  4. Working with Me Specifically
    Discover how my local expertise, personalized service, and full-time dedication simplify your rental search and make it a seamless experience.

  5. Renting FAQ
    Answers to common questions about Toronto’s rental market to help you feel informed and confident.

  6. Resources and Helpful Links
    Key tools and references, including the Residential Tenancies Act and Landlord and Tenant Board.

  7. Contact Information
    Reach out to me via email, phone, Instagram, or contact form to start your rental journey.

Toronto Renting Guide

1. Rental Pathways

There are three avenues you can take on your rental search:

  1. Private Rental Listings (such as those on Kijiji, ViewIt.ca, etc.): These listings are posted directly by landlords who have opted not to pay for real estate services. With these rentals, you’ll need to find the listings yourself, make contact, and negotiate lease terms independently. Private rentals can make it challenging to verify whether you’re dealing with legitimate landlords or potentially fraudulent listings.

  2. Purpose-Built Rentals: These are apartment buildings owned and managed by large corporations, as opposed to condos with individual unit owners. Lease terms and prices typically offer limited flexibility, and the experience can sometimes feel impersonal. Similar to private rentals, you will need to seek out these units and apply directly with the building’s leasing coordinator or agent, whose primary interest lies with the building. Most purpose-built rental corporations do not work with realtors (who represent tenant applicants), though some luxury rental buildings may make exceptions.

  3. Working With a Realtor: Engaging a realtor gives you access to all rental listings uploaded to the Toronto MLS system, including properties you’ll find on Realtor.ca, HouseSigma, Condos.ca, and more. With a realtor, you have a dedicated expert on your side whose role is to guide you through the rental market. We take the time to understand your needs, send you tailored rental listings daily, and arrange viewing appointments. When it’s time to make an offer, we negotiate terms and conditions on your behalf, ensure lease compliance with the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA), and handle all the necessary steps efficiently. We make the process smooth and streamlined. Additionally, your first and last month’s rent is deposited into the listing brokerage’s trust account, and funds are only released to the landlord once we’ve been paid and you’ve received your keys.

2. The Rental Process

  • Step 1: Identify Your Needs: Whether we discuss this on a phone call, or you fill out my Rental Questionnaire, first you will identify what your criteria for a rental property are; things like budget, neighborhood (s), number of bedrooms and bathrooms, whether a parking space is needed, if you prefer a balcony or have pets, and more. This will help me send you only relevant rental listings to consider.

  • Step 2: Gather Rental Documents and Fill Out Rental Application – Begin gathering your rental documents (see #3 below) to email to me, and fill out the Rental Application form I will send you. You will fill out this form with all of the necessary fields completed except for the property specifics. By leaving details about the property, start date, and budget blank, I can use this form for multiple offers if the first offer we submit does not get accepted (instead of you needing to send me a new one each time).

  • Step 3: View Listings and Arrange Showings – I will curate a list of properties (both an initial list of existing listings, as well as new listings as they become available on MLS) to send to you. As you identify properties you are interested in, I will arrange showings based on your availability. In some cases, if your availability is limited or you do not live in Toronto, I am happy to conduct virtual showings so that you don’t have to attend each showing. You can then choose to offer on a property based on the video I sent or you can choose to view your favourite property(ies) in person before making a decision.

  • Step 4: Submit Application and Offer – Once you tell me which property you would like to make an offer to lease on, I will fill out all of the necessary OREA forms that make up the offer, negotiate existing lease terms included by the Landlord’s realtor, and insert clauses that protect your rights. If applicable (especially in highly competitive situations), we will discuss offer strategies to help give your application an edge over others. You will be sent the paperwork to review together or independently and sign the document via Authentisign. After that, I will package the offer paperwork and your rental documents in a highly-organized manner to send to the listing realtor for review. And now we cross our fingers!

  • Step 5: Finalize the Lease and Move-In – When we receive an accepted offer, I will then explain then send you deposit delivery instructions for you to complete by the end of the next business day. Once that is complete, I will send you a detailed email outlining the next steps required for your move (building registration (if applicable), tenant’s insurance, utility account set-up, etc.) And lastly, you move in!

3. Documents Needed

  • Equifax Credit Report – You are required to submit your full Equifax Credit Report - it is free to request and Equifax is the preferred reporting system by realtors.

  • Picture of Government-Issued Photo ID – Your drivers’ license or passport is acceptable.

  • Employment Letter – This should be a new letter you request with your employer that confirms employment, specifies pay, and explains how long you have worked for the company. If you have recently started your current job, the offer letter should suffice.

  • Pay Stubs – 3 recent pay stubs will show what your take-home is after taxes and prove that you currently are still employed.

Self-Employed Applicants

People who are self-employed or work as contractors may not have access to a letter of employment or pay-stubs. While each self-employment situation differs, the following are documents that can be accepted in lieu of these documents:

  • Invoices – 6 months’ worth of invoices are typically required to demonstrate consistent income to qualify for the rental.

  • Bank Statements – if you do not invoice your clients and instead receive direct-deposit payments alone, you can provide 6 months’ worth of bank statements (any irrelevant and sensitive information can be redacted)

  • Notice of Assessment (optional) – This is not allowed to be a required rental document. However, if you work in a seasonal industry and can’t provide proof of consistent income throughout the year, you may volunteer to provide a copy of your NOA from the prior year to demonstrate how much you made in the year.

  • Proof of Savings (optional) – This is also not allowed to be required for a rental application, but if you make income inconsistently and do not wish to submit your NOA or find that it won’t be an accurate depiction of your earnings during the current year, you may volunteer to submit a screenshot of your banking or investment account(s) to demonstrate financial capability to pay for the rent.

    • Employment letter

    • Recent pay stubs

    • Credit report

    • References, if applicable

Situations vary with self-employment so the documents needed may vary as well. However, proving financial qualifiedness and a sense of financial stability to landlords and their realtors is important for reaching an accepted agreement to lease.

Students

If you are a student, you will not be able to financially qualify for a rental on your own or even with a roommate, unless each applicant works full-time. You will need a guarantor - and your guarantor will need to provide the same documents listed above as if they themselves were applying to lease the property. You will still need to provide your Equifax Credit Report (if you can generate one), a picture of your government-issued photo ID, and the following:

  • Proof of Enrolment – You should be able to download this from your educational institution’s online portal/registrar's office.

4. Working with Me Specifically

So Why Work With Me?

  • I am a Torontonian through-and-through. My knowledge of neighbourhood nuances provides what is sometimes much-needed context, especially for those who have limited knowledge about the city of Toronto, when making a decision on where to live.

  • I am always honest about how I feel regarding certain neighborhoods, and I prioritize understanding your lifestyle needs while guiding you. This is not just about signing a lease for a house or condo, but about helping human beings find a home they will love and find comfort in. I don’t take this lightly and am invested in your personal journey.

  • I personally pick out the best and most relevant listings to email you so that you are not inundated with daily emails with dozens of new listings to sort through yourself.

  • I have vast knowledge on which condo buildings are some of the best, and which are definitely….not. And I will tell you why.

  • I am a full-time realtor who is based downtown. What does that mean for you? Well I am dedicated fully to assisting you on your real estate journey and have the flexibility to accommodate showings, meetings, offer write-ups, and listing searches during all waking hours, Monday-Sunday.

  • I make the process as fun and seamless for you as possible! I genuinely enjoy the company of the clients I work with and strive to make our showings together filled with meaningful and interesting conversations along the way. Trust me with the boring technical stuff, and you just need to focus on how you feel in each property we view together.

5. Renting FAQ

See below or click on the above link to be instantly directed.

6. Resources and Helpful Links

  • Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) – Learn about tenant and landlord rights and responsibilities.

  • Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) – The LTB is responsible for resolving disputes between landlords and tenants. The LTB also provides information about its practices and procedures and the rights and responsibilities of landlords and tenants under the RTA.

  • Realtor.ca – Properties listed on the Toronto MLS.

7. Contact Information

Have any questions about renting in Toronto? Feel free to get in touch! We can schedule a phone call, or have a quick text convo. Feel free to reach me at one of the following:

 FAQs

REALTOR FAQs

  • As a tenant, working with a realtor is totally free! If a landlord decides to enlist the service of a realtor to his their property for lease on the Toronto MLS, their realtor’s charge is one month’s rent, which get’s split between themself and the realtor who represents the successful tenant applicant. There is truly no down-side to working with a dedicated realtor - let me get to work to find you an amazing home!

  • Yes, I do require this because my brokerage requires that anyone I work with is under representation - including tenants.

    However, I do not require that it be signed right away. I understand that, especially if you do not know me personally, you may want to see if we’re the right fit before you commit to using me as your realtor. I want to earn your trust. So the first few showings may be conducted without any representation agreement, but soon I will require you to sign one if you wish to continue to work together.

    Realtors are not paid by our brokerages. We do not earn a salary or an hourly wage. We only are paid if a deal is made - whether that be between tenant and landlord or buyer and seller.

    Because of this, to protect my time I require a representation agreement to be signed so that I am ensured that another agent will not be paid to broker a lease agreement with a tenant for whom I have put in hours of work prior (including our conversations, qualifying your documents, searching for properties and sending them, the showings I facilitate and Uber rides I pay for in between).

    If you are uncomfortable signing. a representation agreement, then we are not a good fit.

    I do promise to be a fantastic realtor who has your best interests at heart! I am patient and will not rush the process of choosing a property. And I will be a knowledgeable asset along the way to provide you with all that you need to know about this process and its nuances.

  • I work as a full-time realtor so my availability spans from Monday-Sunday, any time of day. Of course, I have other clients and a personal life, so my weekly schedule depends on those factors. Most of the time, properties are bookable between 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM. If a rental currently has a tenant living in it, they usually require 24-hour’s notice to book a showing and the tenant has to approve the request. Tenants sometimes block off certain hours in a day or days in a week when they do not want showings to happen (usually if they work from home).

    When a property is vacant, there is much more flexibility and same-day booking is possible.

  • No. All properties listed on the Toronto MLS (which are all of the properties I have access to) require that a realtor accommodate the showing.

    Of course, you could view private rentals and purpose-built rental units on your own. However, if you are entertaining options like these I ask that you do this before we work together because I will not get compensated for my time working with you if you sign a lease with one of those options.

  • No, you should only work with one realtor, since we are only paid when a lease agreement is reached. We do not get paid an hourly rate or a salary.

    That is why it’s important to consider who you want to work with. I suggest having phone calls with multiple agents before making a decision if you aren’t sure who to hire.

    Ask them about their availability, the areas they service, and what their opinions are on your rental preferences. Glean from their answers not just what they say but also if they fit your vibe check - you don’t need to be besties with your realtor but you should enjoy their company! Especially if you plan to view many properties.

    • Guiding you through deciding which Toronto neighbourhood is right for you (if applicable).

    • Curating the most relevant and optimal rental listings each day/every few days to send you.

    • Educating you on which condominiums are well-regarded, which are poorly-regarded, and which have minor issues to be aware of.

    • Booking and facilitating property showings.

    • Organizing all of the rental documents required.

    • Drafting offer paperwork.

    • Negotiating terms of the offer based on contextual factors.

    • Rejecting un-fair clauses.

    • Educating you on your rights.

    • Guiding you through post-acceptance tasks which include: deposit delivery, building registration and elevator booking (if applicable), tenants’ insurance registration, utility account set-up, key deposit and pick-up schedule, and more.

    • Ensuring that your best interests and rights are protected in the lease transaction.

GENERAL RENTAL FAQs

  • Right before or on the possession date.

  • Credit scores for tenants have a bit of a higher standard than usual. Typically, if your score is above 730, that is considered to be a good score minimum. Some landlords and their agents require 750 and above. If your score is under 730, you may need a guarantor. If you are working full-time and don’t have any negative reports on your score due to being newer to the country, young, or you just haven’t built your credit history, you may not need a guarantor.

  • It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

  • Nope! The only legal deposits are last month’s rent and a refundable key deposit.

    Security deposits, damage deposits, and pet deposits are not legal as per the RTA.

  • It will take me a couple of hours to draft the offer, organize your rental documents, and craft an email highlighting your application.

    I typically provide an “irrevocable” time of 24 hours after the offer is submitted. Irrevocable time = the time and date that the active offer expires. Some listings require that the offer be active for 48 hours (especially when the landlord is not local and lives in a different time zone.)

  • Depends! I personally recommend fall and winter because there is less competition and prices tend to be lower than the spring and summer.

    However, spring and summer tend to have more options since people prefer to move during warmer months.

  • Mostly yes.

    Under Ontario's Residential Tenancies Act, landlords aren’t allowed to include "no pet" clauses in rental agreements. So, even if a lease says no pets, that rule usually can’t be enforced.

    That said, there are exceptions—landlords can refuse pets if the unit is on a floor of a multi-unit house since allergens can affect other renters living in the house more easily.

    Prohibitions in condos are valid when the building has a no-pet bylaw which designates the entire building as pet-free (very few buildings have this by-law).

    Condo buildings may have pet restrictions regarding weight and type of pet (like the more exotic types).

    • Full Equifax credit report

    • Picture of government-issued photo ID

    • Employment Letter

    • 3 recent pay stubs

    Self Employed:

    • Last 6 months of invoices/proof of pay

    • Articles of incorporation (if applicable)

  • This is not a good idea and as a realtor, I would not permit this. If you submit multiple applications/offers to lease and multiple offers become accepted, then you are liable for the deposit for all of those properties.