'Mortal Kombat': Toronto renters describe the trials and tribulations of finding a place

If you ask young renter Shaun Brown what it's like trying to find an apartment in Toronto, she doesn't mince words. 

"It's literally like challenging people [to] Mortal Kombat," said Brown, who works two jobs to afford her apartment on the city's west side. 

"I'm not even being funny," she said. "It's become a scenario where it's like you have to outbid another person for a spot."

CBC Toronto has heard from hundreds of renters since its fresh look at the challenges of renting in the city began this week. Dozens wrote in saying they couldn't find a place — an experience likely felt by many more people in the city.

Add your story: find our callout form here.

High prices are a big limiting factor (the average cost of rent in Toronto hit $2,898 in August, while throughout the region prices have generally skyrocketed by over 30 per cent in the last two years alone). But renters like Brown have pointed out a number of other challenges when it comes to landing a place. 

From bidding wars to the amount of information landlords need before providing a lease, renters in the city are tired of the chase. 

Demand, competition and lots of information

Here's some of what we heard in response to our callout: 

A competitive market is squeezing people out. 

"There is a lot of demand and competition and it was therefore difficult to obtain appointments to view listed apartments, let alone being able to put in an application in time before a recently listed apartment became rented," one person told us.

Another, who moved to the city from Alberta, had a similar experience. 

"I would show up to showings and there would be three other people interested. [The] landlord asked for so many documents," they said. 

The amount of information landlords are asking tenants these days was a common concern. 

"Landlords ask for credit score, job history and how much liquid savings you have in a savings account," one person said. 

Another reported being asked to provide a statement of their chequing account.

For newcomers to the country like Sila Okur, providing documentation proved a challenge. 

"As a newcomer you have no presence here," Okur said. "You don't have bank accounts most often, you don't have employment letters, any of that." 

Need for information partly due to tribunal backlog: experts

The Landlord and Tenant Board's case backlog is a major reason for some of the frustrations tenants are experiencing, according to lawyer Kirsty Niglas-Collins, partner at Unified LLP in Toronto, which practices landlord and tenant law.

"The reason your landlord is asking for a guarantor or potentially asking for something illegal — a lot of the actual causes for that in my view can be traced back to government action," she said. 

Niglas-Collins says she's not trying to excuse landlords' behaviour, but explains they may be asking for lots of financial information from prospective renters because of how long it would take them to get a hearing at the government tribunal if a tenant stops paying rent. 

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In May, Ontario's ombudsman said it can take landlords six to nine months to get a hearing at the board. Tenants are meanwhile waiting up to two years after filing an application. 

Plus, in today's landscape, hesitance from prospective tenants can be fatal for their renting hopes. 

"Because of the hot rental market. The moment you don't provide [something], you've lost the unit," she said.

What should renters expect a landlord to ask for?

When it comes to finances, here's what's allowed according to provincial legislation: 

• Credit references.

• Credit checks.

• Rental history.

• Income information.

• Security deposit.

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When it comes to what they can't ask about, legislation says landlords are not allowed to refuse accommodation to anyone based on the following human rights protections:

• Race.

• Ancestry.

• Place of origin.

• Colour.

• Ethnic origin.

• Citizenship.

• Creed.

• Sex.

• Sexual orientation.

• Gender identity or expression.

• Age.

• Marital or family status.

• Disability.

Niglas-Collins also notes a landlord cannot ask for more money on top of rent or credit card numbers.