Houses and townhomes · Toronto and the GTA
Rent out your house or townhouse to a tenant who'll look after it
We price your home, market it, run the showings and screen every applicant, then prepare a lease that leaves nothing about the house unsaid. 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 long-term tenant for your detached house, semi or townhouse, and prepares an Ontario standard or customized lease that spells out who handles the lawn, snow, garbage and utilities. You approve the tenant; we do the rest, from listing to signed lease. The fee is one month's rent plus HST, paid when the tenant signs.
Who it's for
Owners renting a whole house, who want a tenant for the long term.
Owners moving for work
You're relocating for a year or more and want the house lived in and looked after while you're away.
Investors with a freehold rental
You own a house or townhouse as an investment and want the right tenant in fast, then a long, quiet tenancy.
Families keeping the family home
You're not ready to sell. Renting it out keeps the house in the family and covers the costs.
What's included for houses
Everything in our tenant placement service, plus the details a whole house needs.
What's included
- A rental market analysis based on similar homes nearby
- Professional photos of every room, the yard and the street, and an optimized listing
- Ads on 6+ rental platforms and social media
- Showings, evenings and weekends included
- 27-point screening of every serious applicant
- The Ontario standard lease or a customized lease, with written terms for the lawn, snow removal and garbage
- Who sets up hydro, gas and water, written into the lease
What isn't included
- Managing the tenancy after move-in
- Collecting rent
- Repairs and seasonal maintenance
- Lease renewals
- Move-in inspections and handing over the keys
What we need from you
- Access for photos and showings
- Which appliances, furniture and parking come with the house
- Your plan for utilities and outdoor upkeep
- Your approval of the tenant, and your signature
How it works for a house
Five steps, about three weeks, from the strategy call to the signed lease.
Strategy call
Day 1
A rental market analysis for your street and area, and a rental strategy for the house. Current rents are in our Ontario rent guide.
Listing
Days 1 to 2
We take professional photos of the entire house and optimize the listing details to make an attractive ad. Live within 12 to 24 hours.
Showings
Days 3 to 12
We pre-screen inquiries and run every showing, so the house is only shown to people who could rent it.
Screening and approval
Days 8 to 14
Our tenant screening: the 27-point check, including our LTB record search and calls to past landlords about how they kept their last home.
Lease signing
Days 14 to 21
The Ontario standard lease or a customized lease, with the house terms and utilities set out. 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 house
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
- No extra charge for photos, ads, showings or screening
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 3-bedroom townhouse, Mississauga | $3,200 | $3,200 + HST |
| 3-bedroom semi, East York | $3,500 | $3,500 + HST |
| 4-bedroom detached house, Vaughan | $4,000 | $4,000 + HST |
Proof from a townhouse landlord
This review is about a townhouse we rented five years ago.
5 out of 5 stars
“I gave Zola a townhouse to rent 5 years ago and they leased it within the same month. The tenants still live there to this day and they have not missed any rent payments.”
- 100+properties rented
- 14 daysaverage time to rent
- 1.7 yearsaverage tenant stay
The same tenants are still in that townhouse. Across Zola's placements, the average tenant stays 1.7 years.
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
House rental questions
Who looks after maintenance in a rented house?
In Ontario the landlord has to keep the property in a good state of repair. The lease can make the tenant responsible for things like lawn care and snow removal, if you both agree and it's written down.
Should the utilities be in the tenant's name?
For a whole house, usually yes: the tenant opens the hydro and gas accounts, and water where your city allows it. The lease says who pays what before anyone signs.
Can I rent the rooms to different people?
Renting rooms separately is different from renting the whole house. In Toronto, a house with four or more rooms rented to people who don't live together as one household needs a multi-tenant house licence. We place tenants for whole houses and for separate units.
How long do tenants usually stay?
Tenants we've placed stay an average of 1.7 years. When a one-year lease ends, the tenancy carries on month to month unless you both agree otherwise; the tenant doesn't have to move out.
What if I might sell the house?
A sale doesn't end a tenancy by itself. If you might sell within a year or two, tell us at the start so we can plan the lease and the timing around it.
Do you inspect the house at move-in?
No, you do it yourself when you hand over the keys. Go room by room with the tenant, yard and garage included, and take dated photos you can both rely on later.
More questions? See the FAQ, read how pricing works, or call 437-448-6162.
Related services
Find out what your house can rent for
Tell us about the house. 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