Scarborough · Agincourt to the Bluffs
Tenant placement in Scarborough: houses, basement units and condos
We price, list, show and screen, then prepare the Ontario standard lease or a customized lease for your Scarborough house, basement unit or condo. 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 Scarborough houses, basement units, townhouses and condos. Scarborough follows Toronto's rules: renting four or more rooms separately needs a multi-tenant house licence, local zoning caps those houses at six rooms, and Ward 23 now allows buildings of up to six units. You pay one month's rent plus HST when your tenant signs.
Scarborough rules to know before you rent
Scarborough is part of the City of Toronto, so Toronto's by-laws apply, with a few zoning differences of its own. Here's what affects Scarborough landlords most, and where to check it.
- Rooms rented separately: a licence, and six rooms at mostA house with four or more rooms rented to people who don't live together as one household is a multi-tenant house and needs a City licence ($27.04 a room, plus a $162.24 inspection). Scarborough's zoning allows at most six rooms, with one bathroom for every four.Source: City of Toronto, multi-tenant house owners and operators, checked October 18, 2026
- Up to six units in Ward 23, four elsewhereMultiplexes of up to four units are permitted across Toronto. In June 2025 Council also allowed buildings of up to six units in Ward 23, Scarborough North, and those rules are now in force.Source: City of Toronto, multiplexes, checked October 18, 2026
- Renovating with tenants out: a licence firstSince July 31, 2025, ending a tenancy for renovations with an N13 notice needs a City rental renovation licence, applied for within seven days of the notice, plus rent-gap payments for tenants who move out temporarily.Source: City of Toronto, renovictions by-law, checked October 18, 2026
- Empty for six months? Toronto's Vacant Home TaxA Toronto home left empty for six months or more in a year can owe 3% of its assessed value. Every owner must declare by the deadline, or the home is deemed vacant, so a long gap between tenants costs more than lost rent. Our vacant home tax guide explains how tenancies count.Source: City of Toronto, Vacant Home Tax, checked October 18, 2026
These are summaries to help you plan, not legal advice. Check the City's page for your own property.
What we place in Scarborough
Every Scarborough 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 Scarborough: what we see
Scarborough has more houses with basement units than most of Toronto, and a fast-changing transit map. Both shape who rents here and what they ask.
Near UTSC and Centennial College
Basement units and houses around U of T Scarborough in Highland Creek and Centennial's Progress campus. Demand rises before the school year, and leases often start in late August or September, so we time the listing to match.
Getting around after Line 3
Line 3 closed in 2023. The TTC scheduled the new Scarborough Busway, on Line 3's old route from Kennedy Station to Ellesmere, to open on September 30, 2026, and the Line 2 subway extension to Sheppard and McCowan is expected in 2030. Units near Kennedy, the busway and the GO stations get asked about first.
Agincourt, Malvern and the Bluffs
Family houses, townhouses and legal basement units, many with parking. Applicants ask about bus routes, the Lakeshore East and Stouffville GO lines, and whether utilities are shared with the upstairs unit, which we spell out in the lease.
Average asking rents in Scarborough, September 2026
| Unit | Asking rent | vs. a year earlier |
|---|---|---|
| 1-bedroom | $1,855 | down 8.6% |
| 2-bedroom | $2,315 | down 7.4% |
All listed units, every size: $2,178 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 · Toronto rents by district
Toronto rental rules at a glance
Applies across Toronto, including North York, Scarborough, Etobicoke and East York.
| Rental licence or unit registration | A multi-tenant house licence where four or more rooms are rented to people who aren't one household: $27.04 a room plus a $162.24 inspection. Source: rental licence or unit registration |
|---|---|
| Short-term rentals | Principal residence only, registered with the City ($390 for 2026), and a whole home for no more than 180 nights a year. Source: short-term rentals |
| Additional units | Multiplexes of up to four units in every neighbourhood, and up to six in Ward 23 (Scarborough North). Source: additional units |
| Other local rules | A Vacant Home Tax of 3% of assessed value on homes left empty six months or more in a year, with a yearly declaration. Source: other local rules A rental renovation licence, applied for within seven days of an N13 notice, with rent-gap payments to tenants (since July 31, 2025). Source: other local rules |
Checked October 18, 2026. Ontario-wide rules apply everywhere; we list only the local ones we found. Compare Toronto with other Ontario cities
Where we work in Scarborough
We work across Scarborough by appointment and meet you and your applicants at the property, including evening and weekend showings.
- Agincourt
- Malvern
- Scarborough City Centre
- Wexford
- L'Amoreaux
- Highland Creek
- West Hill
- Guildwood
- Cliffside
- Birch Cliff
- Scarborough Village
- Rouge
How it works in Scarborough
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.
Scarborough questions
Can I turn my Scarborough house into more units?
Toronto allows up to four units on residential lots, and Ward 23 (Scarborough North) now allows up to six. You'll still need building permits; we place tenants once units are ready to rent.
Can I rent rooms near UTSC or Centennial?
Yes, within the rules. Four or more rooms rented separately needs a multi-tenant house licence, Scarborough's zoning allows up to six rooms, and you need one bathroom for every four rooms.
How do you price a Scarborough basement unit?
Against similar units listed nearby right now. One-bedroom asking rents in Scarborough averaged $1,855 in September 2026, down 8.6% from a year earlier, so last year's price is the wrong starting point.
Free · No obligation · $0 until your tenant signs · 10-Month replacement guarantee
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