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The search for off-campus housing & apartment hunting in Toronto

Is this you?

◉ Someone who's coming down to the end of their degree, or

◉ Someone who's just tired of that dorm/student residence life, or

◉ Someone who's on the brink of graduating and needs to source some new accommodation soon.




Well, if you're still in school, don't feel limited by thinking your only living options, especially as an international student, are your university residence buildings/dorm rooms.


In fact, there are various options when it comes to accommodation and having a roof over your head as a student, and even beyond when living in Canada.


Naturally, dorm rooms are the most common, especially for international students who understandably want to be close to campus, but dorms and student accommodation provided directly through your educational institution come with a number of add-ons, varying prices and a number of rules, regulations and limitations.



The biggest, and arguably most frustrating elements of on-campus housing are the costs, and at a close-second place, the fact that a number of university residences require you to purchase a meal plan in addition to paying those residence fees, in addition to your international student tuition of $25,000+ CAD.



If you're in your first year of school, or even second, and can manage the expenses, I would definitely recommend the residence experience as one that will help you adjust to living on your own, notably as an international student in a new country, as it's also a great way to meet new people, and have a confirmed place to live for at least 8 months. The peace of mind that brings is unmatched, especially in the increasingly difficult housing environment associated with the worsening cost of living crisis here in Toronto.


But, the residence life isn't for everyone (I personally wouldn't say it was for me) and that's how I ended up in a couple student-centered apartments, and eventually moved off campus into my own space to rent around graduation.


In this post, I'll go into my own experiences of the vast search that is, searching for off-campus housing, and provide some quick comparisons with the living situation within non-dorm accommodation and dorm/residence living. This post is mainly dedicated to the search for housing when nearing the end of one's degree, and coming to the end of having student status, but it's mainly focused on accommodation outside of the specific dorm rooms.


This post is broken up into the following sections:


◉ The moving experience & some recommended items.



This is a prettyyyy long post ahead (probably one of my longest) since the whole process of finding off-campus accommodation can also be a pretty long, and complex one, espeically in today's rental market, so I tried to provide as much information and break down the process as well as I could (in relation to my own experience going through the process.)


To anyone considering, or beginning their search for new accommodation, I hope this helps!


Deciding to move off-campus and key factors to consider

Trying to secure a roof over your head, can be one of the most stressful processes you can find yourself in, especially as a student/new grad, or international student in a country you may not be as familiar with.


You want to make sure the place you're agreeing to live in is something that meets as many, if not all the items on your checklist, and is above all, livable and comfortable.


I would say, when it comes to deciding on where you want to live, some of the main aspects to factor in include:


◉ Cost

◉ Location

◉ Solo or shared accommodation/type of unit

◉ Duration of time to be spent

◉ Any renewal possibilities

◉ Your status (whether you're a student or not)


Location and cost arguably compete for the top spot when it comes to searching for accommodation, especially if you're still enrolled as a student, because you'll have to factor in commute time, and commute costs which can contribute to an even higher overall cost to pay when you break down the accommodation associated budget.


Location in terms of what parts of the city/Ontario you want to live in will also play a huge part in determining your rent costs.


Depending on your educational institution, if it's more within the city, you can expect much higher rent prices (Toronto is notorious for this,) although there are a few lucky people who may still find places within their budget within the city.


To break it down for you early on in this post, a studio apartment in the downtown Toronto core (something along the line 1 TTC train say around College/Dundas station go down, as of 2023, will probably run you about $1900-$2200 a month, and that's just rent, not counting any amenities.)



Side note: One of the biggest changes going from on-campus living to off-campus living, is that you'll be paying that rent to a landlord, rather than you educational institution, which can also bring its own ups and downs, and different experiences.

Breaking down the main factors I noted above (tap/click on the drop down arrow for more detail in the breakdown)

Cost & Location

When you first make that decision to move off of residence, or if you're just looking for somewhere new to live, you should always start off by creating a realistic budget, and zoning off your more desired, and less desired living locations. (i.e, where you would love to live, where you wouldn't mind living, and where you absolutely don't want to live.) Within that location zoning, if you'll be relying heaving on public transportation, try to zone it down to areas nearby a bus or train stop. Within that cost budget, don't just account for rent. You also wan to also factor in how much you'd expect to pay for amenities such as water, electivity, Wi-Fi, and any other living associated expenses (as you can never be too certain what'll be offered/covered with your lease.) With the dorms/student accommodation, a number of amenities are covered, typically Wi-Fi, and sometimes water and electricity, but moving off-campus into non-student housing means ideally covering all the bills, which is why having that realistic budget helps you with getting an idea of your expenses from the jump so you can determine what you can realistically afford or cannot. *Cost-related heads up: When moving into a number of the non-student-centered apartments, condos and other accommodations, a number, if not all landlords will require first and last months rent, meaning your first rental payment will be double the monthly amount, and this is also something you have to factor into the budget as well.

Solo or shared accommodation/type of unit

In terms of types of accommodation you'll find when looking for a rental unit, you'll most commonly find; Bachelor units (this is an open space concept where you bed could be right next to the kitchen,) One bedroom units (where the sleeping space will be separate from the rest of the unit, One bedroom plus den (the den is usually like an additional office space), two, three, and four bedrooms.


Floorplans will vary by building, but many can be found online, so it never hurts to do a quick google search.


When factoring in types of accommodation, this has the potential to go hand in hand with the cost factor, as the more people you decide to live with, the lower your accommodation costs may end up being, vs. living on your own and taking the brunt of all the costs yourself. If you're like me and had some absolutely horrifying roommate experiences as a student, searching for a new place for yourself can do wonders for your mental health and peace of mind. The pain it brings to your wallet however, that's another story. You'll find as you begin searching, that many people offer rooms in their apartments or condos as they are looking for roommates to split the costs with.


With the worryingly increasing rental prices just within Toronto itself (which has made countless headlines of having some of the highest rent prices in the WORLD) if your budget for solo accommodation just can't meet the asking prices of the rental units in today's market, consider looking at the possibility of a roommate(s). It's always better to live with someone you know, vs. a completely random person who you may (hopefully not) butt heads with. Everyone has a different living style, and level of broughtupsy, even those you may be closer to. It's also always a different dynamic being someone who moves into a place first and then searches for a roommate, vs. moving into an apartment to be the roommate of someone who has already been living in the space for some time.

I've already had my share of experiences of being the last roommate in, living in a space where people had been in for over a year before me, and I never felt like there was any space for me, or my things (but that was mainly because no space was truly accommodated for me.) My advice: Decide early how willing you are to share the space with someone, and overall, what your budget would allow, whether living on your own is even financially possible given your finances. If you've never lived with someone else, or other people before, just know it will be a huge adjustment regardless of whether you and the roommate(s) get along or not, because you are both agreeing to share a living space. Tensions can rise quickly so ensure ground/house rules are set early, and ensure that you always communicate, for both the bad and the good to ensure you and whomever else you're living with can all enjoy the space equally and harmoniously. You wouldn't want to spend thousands of dollars on rent to just be uncomfortable and confined to your room (been there, done that) You also don't want to feel like you're paying rent to live in someone else's space - You want to have that peace of mind that wherever you choose, is just as much your home as anyone else who lives there with you. (I could go into a whole tangent, but I'll leave that for a dedicated roommate-specific post.)

Duration of time to be spent

A number of accommodations off-campus, commonly condos and apartments usually require you to enter into a fixed lease, which is generally for one year (but this can vary based on the rental agreement you eventually enter into.)

A fixed term lease ideally means you're locked in for one whole calendar year (or however long your lease is for) at whichever place you decide to live in (and breaking the lease/moving out early without discussing it with the landlord typically caries some financial penalties.) A year may sound long, but trust me, that time goes by very quickly (if you compare it to the dorm life where the usual maximum time unless you do summer classes, is 8 months spent in there.) If you're not looking for accommodation for a duration period as long as a year, say for example you just have one more semester left before you graduate and may not continue on living in Toronto, there are also typically a number of sublease options available in the accommodation search. A sublease (definition taken from Investopedia is: the re-renting of property by an

existing tenant to a new third party for a portion of the tenant's existing lease contract) For example, you meet a student, Amanda, who is going on exchange for a semester, but has 6 more months left on her lease in her apartment building. She won't be living in Toronto while on exchange in another country, and decides to sublease her room in her apartment - aka someone new will move in, and pay rent to Amanda, who will then pay that rent to the building/landlord as it's still her name under the lease, she just won't physically be there.

This is usually the process with subleases, though each individual situation may carry different variations somewhere along the line.

I've seen subleases for as short as three weeks, to ones longer than 6 months. It takes some digging about and asking around for sure, to find something for the exact about of time you'll need it for, but they can be found. I've noticed they become increasingly popular around the summer months for students (April - August) and holiday periods (such as around Christmas.) There may be additional fees attaches to subleases, such as a lease transfer, to temporarily name you as the tenant on the lease, aka the person who will be living in the space, and you may be asked to pay first and last months rent for the duration of your sublease as well. Before entering into any sublease though, you'll always want to confirm that the building that you'll be living in, actually allows subleasing, as there are some buildings, notably condominiums that don't allow subleasing or short-term rentals. Unfortunately there are untrustworthy persons out there who wrongfully state they are renting out rooms that go against the buildings rules, or even fake having any room whatsoever to rent out, so it's always good to double check and ask around.


Trust me when I say you don't wany to end up in a situation where you paid rent to a scammer, or your freshly signed rental agreement you thought was safe violates a number of the building's rules and you're barred from moving in.

Any renewal possibilities

With residence and most on-campus housing options, you typically have to reapply each year that you're still in school.


With off-campus housing, usually when in a rental agreement, you do have the possibility to continue living there beyond your standard one-year lease. In a fixed agreement, once the year is over, to my understanding you automatically enter into a month-to-month lease, unless you and your landlord decide to enter into another fixed term or communicate some other accommodation format. About two-three months before the end of your lease, I would recommend reaching out to your landlord to inquire about extending your residency in your unit. Don't leave it till the last minute. Something to note: When moving out, you typically have to provide your landlord with a minimum of 60 days notice. My knowledge is still a little shaky on when a landlord could possibly administer a 60 day notice to move out, but when in doubt, reach out to a realtor with your questions about anything, including rent increases, or anything else you may be unsure about when it comes to your accommodation agreement, especially when it comes to extending your stay.

Your status (whether you're a student or not)

In my experience, and that of others I've asked around, trying to find housing off-campus as a student (outside of the student-centered accommodations) particularly if you're looking to move into a condo/apartment can be quite difficult. There are a number of documents potential landlords want to see, like your last two-three paystubs, your credit score, knowing who is going to be paying them the rent etc. As a student, especially as an international student, without any family in Canada, it can be a little harder to come about this information, and unfortunately some landlords want to enter into the easiest landlord-tenant agreement they can find, which can make the housing search a little harder as an international student. Of course you can provide information from your parents/relatives in relation to the paystubs/who will be paying rent, but my quick note here is to expect some push back, lots of questions and some disappointment here and there. I remember in my first official off-campus search while I was in my final semester of school, I missed out on a number of potential units because of something as simple (and frustrating) as my status, of an international student. Me being someone without all the sufficient funds in my Canadian account, and then the sufficient funds being in an account not even in Canada (aka my parents' accounts.) Don't give up, and your realtor (should you choose to use one, which I will always recommend and will go more into in the next section) can also help vouch for you as well and help the process a bit, but it ultimately comes down to the individual landlord and what they want. Your chances as recent grad, who is employed are higher, because you can provide the landlords with the information they want, and all being under your name. Note however that if your paystubs don't reflect an on-going ability to pay the asking rent, you may also get a lot of push back as well. Here's my side note again to enforce the importance of creating a realistic budget before you begin the accommodation search. My advice: Don't stress, you'll find the right place. What's meant to be, will be.



Searching for off-campus housing as a student, or recent grad

From the perspective of being someone who's still a student:


And is looking to move out of the dorms, but may not yet ready to enter into a full one-year lease in a condo/apartment, or the rental prices are understandably way too high - what I've learned since living in Toronto, is that a number of schools, particularly the big name ones like York University, or Humber College, have a number of (town)houses within close proximity to campus, some even considered to be 'on campus,' that are specifically tailored for student living/students.



These are usually shared accommodations, houses with 4+ rooms and numerous bathrooms where you rent out a room, and share the bathroom and other amenities in the space with other house mates.


The rental agreement for some of these can be 8 months (to align with the academic year) but there are also some who may go up to as long as year.


This form of accommodation, even though you're sharing most of the amenities aside from your physical room tend to be significantly lower, pricing usually below $1000CAD a month, though you may find some on the higher end cost-wise (location plays a big factor.)


You're also likely to find a number of subleases through these accommodations.


Another option you may have as someone still considered a student, is on-campus housing offered through your educational institution or through a partnered business or housing department that's a step up from the dorms - a.k.a, student apartments.



These are more tailored to reflect the moving and living process that comes with moving into an apartment/condo. E.g. You'll have to sign a lease, potentially pay for some amenities like electricity, and provide the 60 day notice if /when you decide to move out.


I lived in two different student apartments during my undergrad, both with their own individual experiences. These do tend to be more expensive than the shared rooms in the (town)houses option, but many units range from bachelor (solo) units, all the way up to as many as four people living in one unit.


The only issue is spacing and demand, as these units tend to get filled up pretty quickly. (I remember having to be placed on numerous waitlists, which was quite stressful.)


The educational institutions usually note off-campus options on their residence websites as well, and through a quick google maps search, you'll be able to see how close the options are to campus (remember that location factor) if the prices are something that fit within your budget.




From the perspective of someone who's on the brink of graduation/a recent grad:


The search for accommodation is a bit different, and arguably a little more difficult.


You'll no longer be eligible for student housing/accommodation, including the apartments as they usually have a clause that you must be a student (although I've surprisingly seen people find loopholes around this.)


What you may want to do as a first step, is go through the checklist of factors to consider that I mentioned at the start of this post, and then one of the next best recommended steps, is to source a realtor.



A realtor is someone who's job entails helping persons buy and sell homes, and helping new tenants find prospective units, apartments or condos they want to rent or lease.


One of the biggest things I also learned through my whole 'searching for a rental' process in Toronto, is that it is free to use the services of a realtor.



Crazy right? I believe they are paid through commission once a rental agreement is signed, but a realtor can help you relieve about 75% of that stress of looking for a place to rent if you began the process on your own.


Realtors help with determining if your budget is realistic when comparing it to the current rental price trends and rental market, can help you look for units in your desired locations, book viewings and give you some peace of mind as they also assist with any questions you may have through the entire process, notably when it comes to the terms and conditions of your rental agreement, to ensure that you are getting the best deal possible.


I don't think I would've found my current unit if it wasn't for the help of my realtor at the time, Christianah, so I would highly recommend the use of a realtor when beginning your search for a rental unit outside of the dorms.


If you're not up for the use of a realtor/rental agent however, there are also numerous rental sites available, such as Kijiji, padmapper, rentals.ca and more, but always take caution on these sites, as not everyone is truthfully and honestly listing units that are exactly as depicted. Always be on the alert for potential scams.





The moving experience & some recommended items

Moving, is not an easy process, and arguably can't be done all on your own.


Depending on how many items you've accumulated in your current accommodation, and how much of it you'll want to take over with you to your new place once you've signed your lease and paid your first and last month's rent, you may want to consider renting a moving truck.



If you're moving straight from the dorm to a new unit, you'll likely only have clothing and other items to bring with you. If you were living in a student type apartment however where you purchased furniture (beds, couches, appliances, etc.) then a moving truck would be a top recommendation.


When I moved out of my last student apartment, I had a number of things, from clothing, to appliances and furniture and more, so a friend of mine and I got a rental truck and had to load as much as we could in.


U-Haul is one of the most popular businesses offering moving truck services in Toronto, and we went with one of their 10" trucks. This managed to hold mattresses, moving boxes and a whole lot of other miscellaneous items.


They offer bigger sized trucks up to 26", offering a number of different sizes to meet different moving needs, and help reduce the number of trips you'll have to take.


If you're already working/employed during the time that you're moving, you'll likely want to book off the date if you can, as you'll be doing a lot of heavy moving and lifting for your move in day.


I would recommend buying or borrowing a trolley/pulley in advance too that you can place items on to wheel them around, to avoid too much heavy lifting that could mess up your back.




If moving into a condo, many usually have you book the elevator for a move in. I had to pay a security deposit of $500.00CAD to rent the elevator in the building I'd moved into, in case anything is damaged during the move in (an additional expense I didn't originally budget for when I began my accommodation search) but you get the money back once the move in process is seamless after they conduct their security and damage checks.


You typically have a limited window to use the elevator for moving in purposes, so you'll want to ensure you get all the heavy items into your unit first, but they give you about an hour, so no rushing needed.


Depending on how much time you have once all the items are loaded into your new unit, and depending on how your bank account is looking after all the fees attached with the new accommodation search and move-in process, you should start making a list of the furniture items you'll need (unless you already had that covered in advance.)



Something to note here, is that many rental units come unfurnished, (i.e. completely empty) so you'll want to purchase a bed and bed frame (if you didn't already have one) as soon as possible, to avoid sleeping on the floor. There is the odd unit every now and again which comes partially furnished, maybe providing a bed frame, but these are not as popular.


Most units also tend to come with some appliances, such as fridges, sinks, and dishwashers and lighting, (but each unit will be different, which you'll find out when you begin the search and apartment viewings.) Some units may come also with microwaves, but I've seen some that haven't.


A pleasant surprise to me when I first began my first off-campus search, is that some of the more modern condos also come with a washer and dryer in the unit, meaning that you don't have to leave your apartment to do any laundry. Coming off from the dorm experience of shared washing machines and having to drag your laundry bag to the basement, or wherever the laundry room was located, it was a huge step up if you ask me.


Another aspect often overlooked, are curtains and/or blinds.


Your landlord or building may have a contact for setting up blinds so I would recommend to always inquire before hand, and early on so that you can set those up and get your privacy, and avoid the sun shining in your eye on a day you may not have to get up early.


Some other items I would recommend to get early to help you settle into your new space sooner include:


◉ Setting up your Wi-Fi and Hydro (if your unit did not have it included in the lease)

◉ Shower curtains and bathroom mats

◉ Plates, Tupperware, cutlery, drying rack

◉ Dishwashing/dishwasher soap

◉ Garbage bins

◉ Chairs/barstool/couches

◉ Appliances and electronics (eg. TV, Blender etc.)

◉ Laundry hamper


The first day sleeping in your new unit once everything is in, is an unmatched sleep, trust me.


Brief commentary on the realities of apartment/condo hunting and living in Toronto during a cost of living crisis in 2023

As we're all aware, 2022 into 2023 has been met with some concerning statistics surrounding the changes around cost of living, as we gradually move out of the pandemic.


In 2020-2021, there was a rent freeze enacted, meaning that the rental prices on the market would not increase, due to the pandemic.


As of last year through, the rental freeze was removed, and rental/leasing prices have shot through the roof.



The issue is that it's not only just rental prices, rather the price of everything seems to be doubling, and tripling before our eyes.


A bachelor unit in 2021, once going for around $1,300.00 on the 'low' end, is going for a minimum of about $1,900-$2,000 per month now, depending on the location of the building.


With the increasing price of almost everything except wages, we're living in an increasingly difficult period of time, especially when it comes to securing a roof over your head.


Toronto is repeatedly in the news for its globally record breaking rental prices, and at this moment in time, it doesn't seem like these prices will be going down anytime soon. I myself got hit with a high rent increase that has made me have to budget my finances better, and have to put a tighter cap on things, and I'm not the only one affected by these ongoing issues.


Many persons moved back home during the pandemic, and are unable to move back out again because they can't afford the new rental prices. When it comes down to everything, many of these apartments and condos are very small spaces, under 500 square feet, and are going for $2,000 a month and more. It's a bit concerning, increasingly so if you're someone covering all your bills yourself.


Don't this deter you however! Working with a realtor, expanding your search radius and preferred locations and considering roommates are some ways to help with your search and landing a form of accommodation that doesn't drain your bank account totally.


Here's to hoping things get better in the near future, because the moving experience can be a fun one, a new chapter, and realistically should not be a bank or back breaking process to find a place to ensure you have a roof over your head.


The aftermath of the pandemic continues to have numerous financial repercussions, and people like us who are students, new grads and new workers, new immigrants to Toronto, and Canada by extension, without family here are facing quite a brunt of it.


Many Canadians by extension too are also feeling the pressure of the cost of living crisis, so we remain hopeful that in due time, things will balance out again and an assumed basic necessity, like housing, will become something within realistic reach again.




What I've learned since moving into an apartment/condo (compared to that of a dorm/student residence)

To close off this very long post, I just wanted to give a brief breakdown of some things I've learned/noticed since living in an apartment/condo style accommodation following my graduation, coming from the background of having first started in a dorm room as a student when I first moved to Canada.


◉ With condos specifically, some rental agreements may include heat or hydro being covered, but its safe to assume you'll have to foot these bills yourself.


◉ You'll want to set up your Wi-Fi as soon as possible. Not all units come with Wi-Fi, and you don't want to find yourself running down your data.


◉ Tenant insurance is almost always required. You usually have the option to pay an amount upfront, or monthly (my bill ranges from $45-$50 if this helps gauge an idea of how much this would be per month.)


◉ In terms of monthly bills associated with accommodation, you can typically expect to have to cover the following:

- Rent

- Tenant insurance

- Wi-Fi

- Hydro

- Water/heat

- *Laundry (*if your unit does not come with an in-unit washer/dryer)


◉ Building a good relationship with your realtor doesn't hurt, especially when it comes to wanting to renew your lease. You want to feel comfortable to reach out to them for any issues you may experience during your time living in the unit, or for the occasional question.


◉ Building a good relationship with your landlord also doesn't hurt.


◉ Many condos and apartments allow pets, but this is something you'll want to discuss with your landlord up front,


◉ Some units/buildings offer additional storage lockers where you can store items you don't use on a regular basis (eg. boxes, suitcases, winter clothes in the summer months) which can do wonders when wanting to declutter your space, especially if you have a smaller unit.


◉ Tests and inspections are often carried out (eg. fire testing, heating inspections when switching over from cold to heat in the winter) and these sometimes require persons to enter the unit when you're away, though you're always informed ahead of time, and a notice is usually left once someone has entered your space.


◉ Storage-based furniture is your best friend, especially in a bachelor unit as they can become messy and cluttered quickly with too many items in the space.


◉ Condos get incredibly dusty. Having a mop and vaccum on hand is essential to getting rid of that constant dust build up.


◉ Many apartment and condo units have white walls, and you usually can't change the paint colour as many leases prohibit any alterations (this includes drilling any nails into the walls as well, or making any huge changes so be mindful of what is stated in your lease.)


Wishing you all the best of luck on your accommodation search!



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