Super-cheap Toronto basement apartment is completely lined with random tiles
Toronto two-bedroom rents have risen to a sky-high average of almost $3,350 per month, but you can still find a unit out there for a fraction of that price, that is, if you’re willing to live in a basement with some curious interior design choices.
It may not be a massive living space, but this Craigslist rental listing for a 550-square-foot two-bedroom basement apartment at 3 Athletic Avenue in the Little India neighbourhood is a steal at just a fraction of the 416 average lease rate.
Listed at $1,250 monthly, the unit is just over one-third the average price of a two-bedroom in Toronto.
Just don’t expect much in the way of luxury for that sum, as everything about this apartment, down to the interior finishes, looks about as barebones as it gets.
However, if you can get past the puzzling finishes and obvious visual signs of wear and tear, there are some good things going for this unit.
Even the tiling raises all sorts of questions. Did the owner buy discounted mismatched tiles and just wing it? Was this bizarre tapestry of wall and floor finishes woven together from discarded finish samples seen on the walls of condo sales centres? Or maybe this was an intentional design choice?
Moving on from this one thing I could spend all day asking questions about, the unit features a combined kitchen and living room and two separate bedrooms.
The listing says that tenants can rent the unit unfurnished or “partially furnished with desk, chair, [and] mattresses” shown in photos.
If the aesthetic isn’t a dealbreaker for you, the listing does have some requirements tenants will need to meet.
The owner is asking tenants to commit to a lease of upward of one year, and that’s only if you can provide a letter from your employer and a recent detailed credit check.
If you meet these qualifications but happen to smoke or own a pet, the listing warns that cat and dog owners or smokers will not be accepted.
Assuming you check all of the very specific boxes, the listing does advertise some other selling points, like included heating, hydro, and water, an on-site coin laundry facility, and access to nearby green spaces.
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