A rental ad in Brampton has sparked widespread outrage after a landlord advertised a single room for rent, suggesting it could accommodate a family of three.
The controversial ad, posted on Kijiji, reads: “Hello Friends. We have a big room upstairs, which can easily accommodate three family members or it could be three boys or three girls.”
The growing trend of single-room rentals in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) has been driven by soaring rental rates, particularly in regions like Peel. According to the July National Rent Report from Rentals.ca and Urbanation, the median rental rate for a two-bedroom unit in Mississauga is now $2,778, marking a 2.8% increase from the previous month.
Photos included in the ad show the room located on the top floor of a Brampton home, highlighting that it is an above-ground space. However, Ontario’s Residential Tenancies Act primarily addresses the relationship between tenants and landlords, not roommates. This distinction means that if a family of three were to move into this room, they would have minimal tenant rights, as they would be considered roommates rather than primary leaseholders.
The ad quickly drew attention on social media, particularly on Reddit’s Slumlords Canada page, where users expressed their disbelief and frustration.
“A couple maybe, but not a family of three or three adult individuals, unless they’re renting to three tiny 10-year-olds,” one Reddit user commented.
Another user voiced concern over the normalization of such practices, stating, “Soon it will be normalized for small families to rent an entire room in someone’s house. Pure greed.”
The ad also mentions the property’s proximity to local amenities, including FreschCo, No Frills, and several bank branches. However, at the time of this report, the rental price for the room remains undisclosed.
The situation continues to fuel discussions around the affordability and accessibility of housing in the GTA, as residents grapple with an increasingly competitive rental market.