City of Renters
The dream of home ownership isn’t dead. Maybe it should be? Scenes from the rent-for-life revolution
You’re throwing your money away.” “You’re not planning for the future.” “You aren’t a proper grown-up.” The stigma against renters has hardened over the decades, but with rents finally coming down and the real estate industry facing a reckoning, there are indisputable upsides. The people below have their reasons for ditching home ownership or not entering the market in the first place: no lawn mowing, snow shovelling or scrambling to find a 24-hour plumber when a pipe bursts at 11 p.m. There’s more freedom, too, when you aren’t tied to a neighbourhood, a mortgage or a single major investment. The renting-versus-owning debate is unlikely to die down completely, but with nearly half of the city now renters, Toronto is joining the ranks of such metropolises as Paris, London, New York and Tokyo, which don’t just make renting look cool—they make it look like the superior choice.
“I’ve been a renter for 25 years and can’t imagine living any other way”
Shanna Flodström has extensively decorated her current space and even build a DIY loft bed. She may not own it, but it feels like home
“My Harbourfront apartment got a TV makeover. Now I never want to leave”
Justin Gordon was selected for the Home Network’s Rentovation series, adding industrial heft and pops of colour to his central waterfront rental
“After we became empty nesters, home ownership no longer made sense, so we found our perfect rental in Summerhill”
Elaine Hamat and Murray Cruchley’s apartment has charming architecture, custom furniture and even a wood-burning fireplace
“I’ve owned a home and I’ve rented, and I’ll take renting every time”
For Downtown Yonge East resident Sam Tibshirani, there’s no substitute for the freedom to drop everything and spend a year travelling the world
“When my husband moved into my Beaches apartment, we realized we needed more space—so we rented the unit next door too”
Tiffany Pratt and her partner’s two-part home suits all their needs: kitchen, bedroom and living room in one unit; office, gym and storage in the other
Inside Sloane, a trio of purpose-built rental buildings near Yorkdale Shopping Centre
A tour of the amenities that are sure to make smug homeowners jealous
These are the buzziest purpose-built rentals coming to Toronto
A snapshot of four new buildings for renters to look forward to
A look at the trademark features in Tricon buildings across Toronto
Some of the coolest attractions from the developer’s purpose-built rental towers
Don Summerville, the new Leslieville complex, is a model for urban living
It’s the product of a partnership between the Toronto Community Housing Corporation, Context Development and RioCan Living
“Renting can be just as financially viable as owning”: An investment expert on the pros and cons of lifelong renting
Benjamin Felix, the chief investment officer at PWL Capital and the co-author of a recent report titled “Renting vs. Owning a Home in Canada 2005–2024,” breaks down the financial pros and cons
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Teagan Sliz covers Ontario real estate for Toronto Life and Storeys. She also writes for Cottage Life and has reported on everything from hidden-gem restaurants to Canadian wildlife and forest fires. She graduated from Queen’s University with a bachelor’s in history and art history and from Centennial College, where she studied Canadian publishing.