Basement apartments · Toronto and the GTA
Find a reliable tenant for your basement apartment
We price your unit, market it, run the showings and screen every applicant, then prepare a lease that spells out laundry, parking and utilities. One flat fee of one month's rent plus HST, paid when your tenant signs.
Free · No obligation · $0 until your tenant signs · 10-Month replacement guarantee
In short
Zola finds and screens a tenant for your basement or second unit, often for owners who live upstairs. Before listing, check the unit is legal: Mississauga and Markham require second units to be registered, and Brampton requires it before a rental licence. Most basement units first lived in after November 15, 2018 are exempt from rent control.
Who it's for
Homeowners renting the unit below, beside or above them.
Owners who live upstairs
You'll share a driveway and a wall. We screen for what matters in a shared house: steady income, good references and clear expectations on noise, parking and laundry.
First-time landlords
Your basement has never been rented, or you've only rented it to someone you knew. We'll walk you through pricing, the lease and the rules.
Owners of a new legal second unit
You've just finished a permitted unit and want a first tenant who'll stay. Our average tenant stay is 1.7 years.
What's included for basement units
Everything in our tenant placement service, with the details shared houses need.
What's included
- A rental market analysis for your area, with and without utilities included
- Professional photos of the entire place, an optimized listing and ads on 6+ rental platforms
- Showings in time slots that suit you and your family
- 27-point screening of every serious applicant
- The Ontario standard lease or a customized lease, with written rules for laundry, parking, the yard and storage
- The utility split written into the lease
What isn't included
- Building permits, registration or licence applications
- Renovations or repairs
- Managing the tenancy after move-in
- Rent collection
- Move-in inspections and handing over the keys
What we need from you
- Access for the photos and showings
- Which utilities are included, and how shared costs are split
- Your approval of the tenant, and your signature
How it works for a basement unit
Five steps, about three weeks, planned around the people living upstairs.
Strategy call
Day 1
We give you a rental market analysis specific to your area and a rental strategy for your unit, including whether utilities should be in the rent. Current rents are in our Ontario rent guide.
Listing
Days 1 to 2
We take professional photos of the entire place and optimize the listing details to make an attractive ad. Live within 12 to 24 hours.
Showings
Days 3 to 12
Organized into time slots that are most convenient for you and your family.
Screening and approval
Days 8 to 14
Our tenant screening, with the 27-point check for every serious applicant, including our LTB record search. You see what we found and make the final call.
Lease signing
Days 14 to 21
The Ontario standard lease or a customized lease, with the shared-house rules attached. You hand over the keys once it's signed and first and last month's rent is paid.
Free · No obligation · $0 until your tenant signs · 10-Month replacement guarantee
What it costs for a basement unit
The same flat fee as every placement.
- One month's rent plus HST, at the rent in the signed lease
- Paid when the tenant signs, not before
- Renting the main floor too? It's the same firm fee for each unit
The fee
One month's rent plus HST, once
If we don't find you a tenant, you pay nothing.
| Rental | Monthly rent | Zola’s fee |
|---|---|---|
| Studio basement, Vaughan | $1,500 | $1,500 + HST |
| 1-bedroom basement, Brampton | $1,750 | $1,750 + HST |
| 2-bedroom basement, Scarborough | $2,100 | $2,100 + HST |
Proof for basement landlords
We don't have a Google review about a basement unit yet. This one is about the check that matters most when someone moves in below you: their documents.
5 out of 5 stars
“His meticulous approach and unwavering commitment to verifying the authenticity of documents have saved us from falling prey to fraudulent individuals. Moreover, he successfully negotiated the desired rental rate on our behalf.”
- 100+properties rented
- 14 daysaverage time to rent
- 1.7 yearsaverage tenant stay
Our promise
If your tenant breaks the lease in the first 10 months, we find you a new one at no cost
If a tenant we placed leaves or breaks the lease within a 10-month period, we re-list, re-screen and re-place the tenant without charging a second fee. The full terms are in your written agreement with Zola; ask for a copy.
- No extra fee for the replacement placement
- The same 27-point screening for the new tenant
- We handle the marketing, showings, screening and lease again
Basement apartment questions
Does my basement apartment need to be registered?
It depends on your city. Mississauga and Markham require second units to be registered, Brampton requires registration before a rental licence, and new units in Toronto and Vaughan need a building permit. Our rental rules by city guide links each city's requirements.
Is my basement unit under rent control?
Most basement apartments first lived in after November 15, 2018 are exempt from the yearly guideline. Older units follow it: 1.9% for 2027. Either way you need 90 days' written notice and 12 months between increases.
Should utilities be included in the rent?
Either works. Including them is simpler for a unit on the same meters as yours; splitting them suits separate meters. Whatever you choose goes in the lease in writing.
I live upstairs. Do I get to choose who moves in?
Yes, you make the final call based on the screening results: income, credit, references and rental history. The Human Rights Code still applies, so the choice can't be based on things like family status, age or receiving social assistance.
What fire safety rules apply?
Every unit needs working smoke alarms and, if there's a fuel-burning appliance, a fireplace or an attached garage, carbon monoxide alarms beside sleeping areas and, since January 2026, on every storey. Two-unit houses that existed on July 14, 1994 fall under special Fire Code rules (Section 9.8); newer units are built to the Building Code under a permit. Our smoke and carbon monoxide alarm guide covers the details.
Can you rent the main floor too?
Yes. We can place tenants in both units and plan the move-in dates. The fee is the same for each: one month's rent plus HST, paid as each tenant signs.
More questions? See the FAQ, read how pricing works, or call 437-448-6162.
Related services
Find out what your basement unit can rent for
Tell us about the unit. We'll call with a rent estimate, a plan and a realistic timeline. It's free, with no obligation.
Get my free rental strategy
What happens next
Prefer to talk? Call or text 437-448-6162
Free · No obligation · $0 until your tenant signs · 10-Month replacement guarantee