Oshawa · downtown to the north campus
Tenant placement in Oshawa, including the licensing area near the campus
We price, list, show and screen, then prepare the Ontario standard lease or a customized lease for your Oshawa rental. You approve the tenant. One flat fee of one month's rent plus HST, paid only when they sign.
Free · No obligation · $0 until your tenant signs · 10-Month replacement guarantee
In short
Zola places screened tenants in Oshawa houses, basement units, townhouses and apartments. Rentals in Oshawa's licensing area, around Durham College, Ontario Tech University and the Simcoe Street corridor, need a City licence with Fire and by-law inspections, renewed every two years. You pay one month's rent plus HST when your tenant signs.
Oshawa rules to know before you rent
We don't have Oshawa reviews to show yet, so here are the City's own rules, and where to check them.
- Rental licences near the campusRentals in the licensing area around Durham College and Ontario Tech, including the Simcoe Street corridor, need a City licence. A single owned unit (Class A) costs $275 plus $75 per bedroom and a $50 application fee, includes by-law and Fire inspections, and lasts two years.Source: City of Oshawa, residential rental housing licensing, checked October 18, 2026
- Electrical and carbon monoxide checksRentals with a licence need an electrical inspection form every four years, or after electrical work. Since January 1, 2026, carbon monoxide alarms are required outside all sleeping areas and on every storey. Lodging houses aren't permitted in the licensing area.Source: City of Oshawa, residential rental housing licensing, checked October 18, 2026
- Short-term rentals: your own home onlyShort-term rentals need a licence ($100 plus a $50 application fee), can only be the unit you live in, must be under 28 days at a time and no more than 180 days a year, and need $2 million in insurance.Source: City of Oshawa, short-term rentals, checked October 18, 2026
These are summaries to help you plan, not legal advice. Check the City's pages, and its licensing-area map, for your own property.
What we place in Oshawa
Every Oshawa placement uses the same process and the same flat fee.
- Tenant placementLandlords with a condo, house, basement unit, multiplex or apartment building to rent.
- CondosCondo owners renting out a unit, including owners who live abroad.
- Basement apartmentsHomeowners renting a basement or second unit, often for the first time.
- Houses and townhomesOwners renting a detached, semi-detached house or townhouse.
- Multiplexes and apartment buildingsOwners of duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes and apartment buildings of any size.
- Tenant screeningLandlords who want an applicant's income, identity and history checked properly.
Renting in Oshawa: what we see
Oshawa's asking rents run below Ajax's, it has a large student market in the north end, and its rentals range from downtown apartments to new houses near Highway 407.
The north end: Ontario Tech and Durham College
Houses near the shared campus on Simcoe Street North, many rented to students. Check the licensing map first: inside the area, the licence and inspections come before any tenant, and lodging houses aren't allowed.
Downtown and central Oshawa
Older houses, duplexes and apartments near Lakeridge Health Oshawa, Trent University Durham and the downtown core, rented to health care staff, students and workers.
Taunton, Kedron and the newer north
Newer family houses and basement units near Highway 407, where applicants are mostly families and commuters. Oshawa's one-bedroom asking rents averaged $1,724 in September 2026, down 3.1% from a year earlier.
Average asking rents in Oshawa, September 2026
| Unit | Asking rent | vs. a year earlier |
|---|---|---|
| 1-bedroom | $1,724 | down 3.1% |
| 2-bedroom | $2,006 | down 2.9% |
All listed units, every size: $1,993 a month on average.
Source: Rentals.ca and Urbanation, National Rent Report, published October 7, 2026, with September 2026 listings. These are asking rents on new listings, not what sitting tenants pay. Rents across Ontario
Oshawa rental rules at a glance
| Rental licence or unit registration | A rental licence in the area around Durham College and Ontario Tech: $275 plus $75 a bedroom, for two years, with inspections. Source: rental licence or unit registration |
|---|---|
| Short-term rentals | A licence ($100), the unit you live in only, under 28 days a stay and no more than 180 days a year. Source: short-term rentals |
Checked October 18, 2026. Ontario-wide rules apply everywhere; we list only the local ones we found. Compare Oshawa with other Ontario cities
Where we work in Oshawa
We work across Oshawa by appointment and meet you and your applicants at the property, evenings and weekends included.
- Downtown
- Windfields
- Samac
- Taunton
- Kedron
- Eastdale
- Centennial
- McLaughlin
- Vanier
- Lakeview
- Donevan
How it works in Oshawa
A free strategy call on day 1, with a rental market analysis for your area; professional photos and a listing live within 12 to 24 hours; then showings, screening and a signed lease, usually about three weeks in all. You pay one month's rent plus HST when your tenant signs.
Oshawa questions
Does my Oshawa rental need a licence?
If it's in the licensing area around Durham College, Ontario Tech and the Simcoe Street corridor, yes. Check the City's map to see whether yours is inside it.
Can I rent rooms to students near the campus?
Lodging houses aren't permitted in the licensing area. A house or unit with a licence, rented to one group of tenants on one lease, is the usual way to rent near the campus.
When should I list a unit near the campus?
Student demand peaks before the school year, so leases often start in May or September. We'll suggest a listing date that matches the term on the strategy call.
Free · No obligation · $0 until your tenant signs · 10-Month replacement guarantee
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