Airbnb says Toronto’s most notorious listing is actually totally fine

Toronto’s average rent price for a one-bedroom apartment officially surpassed $2,400 in October, meaning many prospective renters in the city continue to resort to websites like Facebook Marketplace, Kijiji, and even Airbnb in search of budget-friendly accommodations.

As a result, a select group of greedy landlords continue to capitalize on those strapped for cash by advertising confined spaces for rent at an affordable price point. Over the past few months, we’ve seen landlords advertise beds in the middle of kitchens, rooms stuffed with several beds, and in this case, a mattress stuffed at the top of a staircase.

The listing, which is located in Toronto’s Regent Park neighbourhood, was listed on Airbnb recently as a “sleeping terrace.” The space comes with a shared washroom, kitchen, and living room, as well as an outdoor terrace for $40 per night.

When accounting for the cleaning fee, Airbnb service fee, and taxes, the accommodation comes out to about $392 for a week-long stay.

Idk if this is the right sub for this but I was baffled

byu/TypeNo6465 inSlumlordsCanada

If you happen to recognize the listing, odds are you might’ve seen it before, because the space actually went viral last year after photos of it were shared on local Facebook and Reddit pages. Roughly a year and a half later, the space has been re-listed on Airbnb, where it’s managed to acquire two positive reviews. 

Still, the questionable space has caught the attention of those on Reddit once again, where many shared their frustration with the listing’s landlord. The thread has already amassed over 130 upvotes and dozens of comments.

“Prisoners have better living accommodations than this. I’d be afraid, someone was coming to get me in my sleep! How awful for someone having to rent out that crap hole, because housing is too expensive in Toronto,” one person wrote.

“On a stairway, in a closet, in a hallway, in a living room, in a bathroom, in a garage, in a kitchen….Can’t wait to see what these slumlords will try to rent out next. Just throw a mattress on the front lawn and rent that. How about the roof? The sky’s the limit,” another Reddit user said.

Despite its head-scratching set-up, it looks like the listing doesn’t technically break any of Airbnb’s rules. After reviewing the space and host, a spokesperson for the online marketplace said that the listing does not currently violate any of its policies. 

“The listing description and photos provide details about the space for guests to review before booking, and it has positive reviews from past guests, with some mentioning that ‘the place is exactly like the photos,'” an Airbnb spokesperson told blogTO. 

A week-long stay at the space comes out to just under $400. Photo via Airbnb.

Airbnb clarified that the platform enables hosts to offer a range of accommodation options for travellers, as long as the listing complies with its policies, standards, and criteria. 

“We encourage guests to review a listing’s photos, description and reviews and ask the host any questions through our messaging service so they can make an informed decision prior to booking,” the spokesperson explained. 

“If something isn’t as advertised on arrival for a stay, guests have recourse. We hold onto payments for stays until 24 hours after check-in, so guests can ensure everything is as it should be on arrival. Bookings on Airbnb are also protected by Aircover for guests, which includes issues like listing inaccuracies, and our customer support team is on hand 24/7 to help.” 

In the rare event that you have concerns about a listing, Airbnb says that there is a flag icon you can use to report it directly to the platform for investigation.