Toronto · North York · Scarborough · Etobicoke
Tenant placement in Toronto: condos, houses and basement units
We price, market, show and screen, then prepare the Ontario standard lease or a customized lease. 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 Toronto condos, houses and basement units, including North York, Scarborough and Etobicoke. Toronto adds rules of its own: every owner must declare each year for the Vacant Home Tax, and renting four or more rooms separately needs a multi-tenant house licence. You pay one month's rent plus HST when your tenant signs.
Toronto rules to know before you rent
We don't have Toronto-specific reviews to show yet, so here's something more useful: the city's own rules, and where to check them.
- Vacant Home Tax: declare every yearToronto taxes homes left empty for six months or more at 3% of their assessed value. A rented home counts as occupied only if the tenant has a written agreement of at least 30 days and lives there at least six months in total that year. Declare by the deadline or the city treats the home as vacant; false declarations can bring fines of up to $10,000. Our vacant home tax guide explains how tenancies count.Source: City of Toronto, Vacant Home Tax, checked October 18, 2026
- Renting rooms? You need a licenceSince March 31, 2024, a property with four or more rooms rented to people who don't live together as one household needs a multi-tenant house licence: $27.04 per room, plus a $162.24 inspection. Renting the whole house to one household, or a self-contained unit, is different.Source: City of Toronto, multi-tenant house owners and operators, checked October 18, 2026
- Older two-unit houses follow the Fire CodeA house that already had a second unit on or before July 14, 1994 falls under special Fire Code rules (Section 9.8) for fire separations, exits and alarms. Newer second units need a building permit.Source: City of Toronto, two-unit houses and basement apartments, checked October 18, 2026
- Condos: notice to the corporationMany Toronto rentals are condos. The owner must tell the condo corporation the unit is leased and give it a copy of the lease within 10 days of signing, and the tenant must follow the building's rules.Source: Condo Authority of Ontario, leasing a condo, checked October 18, 2026
- Short-term rentals: your own home onlyStays under 28 days are allowed only in your own principal residence, after registering with the City ($390 for 2026), and a whole home can be rented for no more than 180 nights a year. An investment property rents long-term. Our Toronto short-term rental guide covers the rules and fines.Source: City of Toronto, short-term rental operators and hosts, 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 Toronto
Every Toronto 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 Toronto: what we see
Toronto isn't one rental market. A few things that shape rent and demand in different parts of the city.
Downtown and the waterfront
Mostly condos, close to offices, campuses and transit. Building amenities, parking and the view all move the rent, and buildings set their own rules for showings and move-ins.
North York
Condos along Yonge Street near the subway, and houses and basement units on the side streets. In our experience, units a short walk from a Line 1 station draw more inquiries.
Scarborough and Etobicoke
More houses, townhouses and basement apartments. Applicants here often ask first about parking, laundry and outdoor space, so the listing leads with them.
Asking rents across Ontario were down 4.8% from a year earlier in September 2026 (Rentals.ca and Urbanation, reported by CP24 on October 7, 2026). The market moves month to month, so we price every unit against today's listings, from the first day. Our Toronto rent guide breaks asking rents down by district and compares them with signed leases.
Average asking rents in Toronto, September 2026
| Unit | Asking rent | vs. a year earlier |
|---|---|---|
| 1-bedroom | $2,220 | down 2.3% |
| 2-bedroom | $2,937 | up 0.8% |
All listed units, every size: $2,556 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
| 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 Toronto
We work across the city by appointment and meet you and your applicants at the property.
- Downtown
- Midtown
- North York
- Scarborough
- Etobicoke
- East York
- York
Also served: East York.
How it works in Toronto
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.
Toronto questions
Do I need to declare my rented condo for the Vacant Home Tax?
Yes. Every Toronto residential property owner has to declare each year, even when the home is rented. It counts as occupied if a tenant lived there under a written agreement of at least 30 days, for at least six months of the year in total.
Do I need a licence to rent rooms in my house?
If four or more rooms are rented to people who don't live together as one household, yes: Toronto's multi-tenant house licence. Renting the whole house, or a self-contained unit, doesn't fall under it.
Do you cover North York, Scarborough and Etobicoke?
Yes, and East York and York too. We place tenants across the whole city.
How fast do Toronto units rent?
Our average across the GTA is 14 days from listing to a signed lease. In Toronto, price and timing matter most, so we'll give you a realistic estimate for your unit on the strategy call.
Free · No obligation · $0 until your tenant signs · 10-Month replacement guarantee
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