Where can I stay temporarily while I look for a home?
If you're new to Ontario or don't have a place to stay, staying in a hotel while looking for a place to live can get expensive. You have a few other options you can try instead.
- Short-term rentals: Units you can rent by the week or month can be cheaper than renting a hotel room on a day-by-day basis. To find an apartment hotel or short-term rental, search online or try Airbnb or Booking.com.
- Hostels: An affordable option for single people or small families. You either share a room with others or share a bathroom. Find hostel listings at Hostels.com, Hostelz.com, Hostelworld.com and Hihostels.ca.
- Shelters: Emergency, temporary housing for people without a home. Some shelters are for specific groups, like refugees, women, or youth. Others are open to anyone in need. Staying at a shelter is free, but you will most likely share a space with other residents. For more information, read our article about shelters.
You should also try to contact a settlement agency and find out if you're eligible for Canada's Resettlement Assistance Program or Settlement Program. These programs may provide temporary housing or help you find permanent housing that meets your needs.
How do I find a place to rent?
First, narrow your search to a particular region, like a city or neighbourhood. You might want to find somewhere close to where you work or others you know live. Remember that the closer you are to a downtown core, the more expensive rent might be.
Once you have some idea of where you want to live, look for housing advertisements by checking:
Renting websites
- Viewit.ca
- Kijiji
- PadMapper
- RentBoard
- Zumper
- TorontoRentals.com
- Walk Score
- 4Rent.ca
- Gottarent.com
- Rentals.ca
- RentSeeker.ca
- Renters.ca
Or you can search by checking community spaces
- Facebook Marketplace or location-specific Facebook groups
- Community newspapers or magazines
- Bulletin boards in community centres, libraries, grocery stores, gyms, etc.
- Listings at the public library or on your campus
- Friends and family
- Walking around neighbourhoods to see rental ads
When searching, be aware of scams.
- Beware of false apartment advertisements. Some listings online are not available for rent.
- If someone asks you for deposit money without offering you a viewing, do not agree. This is a known scam. Only give the deposit when you sign the lease agreement.
- Be cautious if you can only contact the person through email. You should be able to talk to them before viewing a place.
- Most apartment buildings are managed by companies, so you should be able to contact a property manager or on-site superintendent.
You can learn more about the types of rental scams and how to protect yourself in this resource from the University of Toronto.
What are ways to get affordable housing?
If you're single, the best way to save on housing costs is to share an apartment or house with other people (roommates). Many students and young people choose this option. You can find rooms for rent using the options listed above or look for roommates using websites like Roomies.ca or Diggz.
Subsidized housing is another option that lets you pay rent for a place according to your income. The waiting list for subsidized housing is usually very long, but some people may get priority. To find out more about subsidized housing, contact a Coordinated Access Centre.
Housing co-ops are communities where all residents participate in how to run the co-op. There's no landlord, and they are usually more affordable than privately owned housing but also have long wait lists.
For more housing information:
Your rights and responsibilities, lease agreement, and more:
- Standard Lease Agreement Guide in different languages
- Newcomers Housing Information in different languages
- Privacy and Unit Entry
- Renting in Ontario: Your rights
- FMTA Tenant’s Rights Guide in different languages
- The Renter Cover Letter Toolkit
To find housing support organizations near you, contact 211.