/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25262997/STK461_INTERNET_CHILD_SAFETY_E_Stock_CVirginia.jpg "The FTC orders Sitejabber to stop faking product reviews")
As the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Toronto creeps above a mark most people can’t reasonably afford on their own, sketchy listings continue to infiltrate platforms like Kijiji and Facebook Marketplace.
With the sky-high rental prices, roommates remain one of the only options available for some renters, although one viral Reddit thread reminds us why living with strangers can sometimes be a nightmare.
The Reddit thread, which was posted last month, has already amassed over 1,000 upvotes and hundreds of comments.
“Toronto listing here. Where do I even begin? This landlord clearly has mental issues, and wants to control everything their tenants do in the house,” the post reads.
Jesus Christ what the fuck.
byu/Pizza-beer-weed inSlumlordsCanada
“Let me just start with the biggest WTF is $1500 a month if you wanna have guests over, prefers if you don’t eat at home, and I’m more curious as to why he’s asking to avoid the neighbours?”
The listing specifically asks for female tenants and permits only single individuals looking for a short-term arrangement. “If you are in some relationship, friendships, dating, and any serious relationship, you must keep them entirely away from the house for the whole duration of your stay at all times,” the landlord wrote.
Tenants can pay an extra $600 per month if they wish to have visitors over, otherwise, they must pay $900 per month and keep friends or romantic partners “away from the house” at all times.
Other bizarre rules posted by the landlord include only using the kitchen “lightly” and keeping washer use to a maximum of three times per month. Tenants are also asked to avoid the neighbours, although the landlord does not clarify why.
As expected, the listing resulted in lots of heated reactions on Reddit, with many calling on prospective tenants to report similar listings.
“Avoid the neighbours cuz they’ll report the very obvious illegal rooming house,” one person wrote under the thread.
“Renting in Canada can have worse perks than prison apparently,” another user said.
Kijiji confirmed to blogTO that the ad has been removed from its marketplace via their moderation measures. “We use a variety of proactive measures to prevent fraud and protect users from illegal rental practices,” a spokesperson said, noting that efforts are guided by the company’s Real Estate and Housing Code of Conduct as well as its Equality in Housing Policy.
The spokesperson also said that the website also employs a range of strategies to ensure safe experiences for its users, including utilizing advanced AI-driven algorithms to monitor and remove the platform, potentially harmful or fraudulent ads, and implementing a posting fee structure to encourage responsible, verified listings from legitimate renters.
Users are encouraged to use the “Report this Ad” feature when necessary, and these reports are reviewed multiple times a day to facilitate action.
“When we identify unethical renters, they are added to a blocklist, reinforced by sophisticated algorithms designed to prevent their return to the platform,” a Kijiji spokesperson said.
“Recently, over the past two weeks, we removed over 3,500 short-term and long-term rental listings for policy violations, underscoring our commitment to maintaining trust and integrity within our platform.”
