Rental of the Week: $2,200 per month to live in a low-key loft on Ossington

Address: 917 Ossington Avenue
Neighbourhood: Wallace-Emerson
Agent: Clayton Book, Private Service Realty, Brokerage
Price: $2,200/month

The place

A one-bedroom apartment in a former furnace manufacturing facility.

The unit has a separate entrance, accessible through a laneway:

Here’s the hallway:

The kitchen has a wooden breakfast bar:

And there’s some shelving:

This tiny den could be used as a second bedroom:

And here’s the actual bedroom:

The history

When the listing agent and his partner bought 1920s-era building in 2011, it was in rough shape, with poorly installed drywall, an outdated kitchen, and a clawfoot tub that was covered with mildew and corrugated plastic. They decided to expose the red brick hidden behind the drywall, and took out the ceiling to expose the roof joists, adding about two feet to the unit’s ceiling height. They even restored the tub:

There are three units in the building. Three members of the local band the Darcys used to live in this one.

Major perk

Five skylights make the place bright and airy. One of them opens with a remote control.

Possible deal breaker

There’s no washer or dryer in the building yet. A laundromat is just down the street.

By the numbers

• $2,200/month
• 700 square feet
• 5 skylights
• 1 bedroom
• 1 den
• 1 bathroom

The Hunt

Real Estate

I never planned to buy a cottage. Then I saw my grandfather’s old property in Algonquin listed for $220,000

“When I visited, tucked away in a drawer, there was an old telephone directory with a note my grandmother had written on the cover”