Cameron Frew
Outrage has swirled around a Toronto landlord after they tried to rent out three individual beds in one room for a ridiculous price.
Moving to a big city is a huge financial burden. Even if you're lucky enough to be moving with a friend or partner, the cost of renting is more expensive than it's ever been.
For most people, it's a game of give and take. Do you want to live right in the centre of the city? Okay, be prepared to jump up to four-figure rent. Are you willing to live in a studio, ground floor flat or take a commute? Good, you'll be cosy but not quite as cash-strapped.
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Let's be real, though: some landlords really do take the p**s. For example, a person posted an ad for a room to rent in Toronto, Canada: $420 per month, WiFi and utilities included and a nice pizza place nearby.
Sorry, let me correct myself: it's $420 per month for a single bed, next to two other beds, in what appears to be the basement. Don't worry though, the room comes with two patio chairs and a table, so you could work out a schedule with your roommates to work out who gets to be the king of the castle every night.
The members of the Facebook group didn't take kindly to such immoral letting, and swiftly let them know their feelings. The post was deleted the next morning, but not before being screenshotted by Maggie Mae Taylor.
She told blogTO: "They were literally being threatened. Like people were saying they were going to attack the house. Some comments were hilarious; 'You can have bunk beds and rent to 6 people, sky is the limit.'"
For extra context, this listing isn't just shocking - it may have bordered on illegal. According to Toronto bylaws: "the maximum number of persons living in a habitable room cannot exceed one person for each nine square metres of habitable room floor area."
The response to the ad has been echoed across social media, with one user writing: "You know, I get it. People invested in properties way back when want to get their money‘s worth now. I get it! And good for you.
"But what kind of person rents out a f***ing bed... and goes to sleep at night peacefully? Like no person with dignity wants to do that and if they do you know they are in a tight spot. And if that’s not taking advantage I don’t know what it is."
Another wrote: "I saw an ad like this for shared room in a condo. Said the other bed was occupied by an elderly couple. Broke my heart."
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