Rent in the city of Toronto has been gradually increasing over the years but has seen a major change this year. According to a September 2023 report by Rentals.ca, the average rent in Canada has increased by 1.8% monthly and 9.6% annually.
Focusing specifically on Toronto, CP24 reports that rental prices have grown exponentially when compared to the prices in 2022.
One-bedroom apartments are now, on average, $2,620 per month, which is up 10.5% from August 2022. On average, two-bedroom apartments rose to $3,413 per month, an increase of 7.1% from a year ago.
Being a city with many universities and colleges, Toronto is home to many international and domestic students. With living expenses already on the costly side, students face difficulties finding affordable housing while managing tuition fees as well.
The rental crisis in Toronto is affecting everyone. Affordable housing is getting harder to find every day and has caused many unfortunate situations for tenants, including students.
Toronto Life Magazine published a story in late August written by international student Vansh Thukral, who was taken advantage of by his landlords.
After moving to Toronto in 2019, Thukral rented a basement room for $550 per month, utilities included, with three other roommates.
He noticed a camera facing the entrance of his bedroom and bathroom and felt “violated.” He decided to confront his landlord.
“He said that the camera was there for our own safety, in case of a break-in. I felt powerless to press the issue further,” said Thukral.
Being an international student, Thukral explained how his landlord would threaten him and his roommates to tell the government they were involved in criminal activities to get them deported if they didn’t follow the rules.
“My landlord would regularly come into our unit without notice. It was stressful and frustrating,” he said. “I’d never know when he’d be over to complain about something.”
After moving to a new place at $675 per month, which 14 other people shared, Thukral moved into a two-bedroom unit at a student residence at York University with a roommate for $1,400 per month.
International students face “terrible conditions” because it’s their only choice. “The city needs to come up with better housing options for international students and shut down the illegal, exploitative rentals we’re too often forced into,” said Thukral.
Iman Sadeghi at McMaster University and Sourav Ray at the University of Guelph conducted a case study regarding rental units. Published in early August, the two analyzed how Airbnb may be one of the reasons for the rental crisis due to two factors. One, temporary rentals reduce the number of available long-term units on the market, and two, the increase in Airbnb properties continues to contribute to the gentrification of neighbourhoods.
The study states, “When homeowners convert their properties into Airbnb rentals, it may reduce the long-term rental supply in the neighbourhoods. This could increase rental prices, stretching the budget of lower-income families.”
Not only does rent affect students but also families and residents. According to CTV News, around 500 tenants from five buildings across Toronto have been on a rent strike since early summer.
Residents at 1440 and 1442 Lawrence Ave. W. says their landlord, Barney River Investments, has ignored building repairs and has tried to implement above-guideline rent increases.
Rashid Limbada, a tenant who organized the protest, said, “We can’t even reach our building manager to request basic maintenance, but they’re always around to tell us they’re jacking up our rents.”