Rent a flat or a house in Toronto

Christine wrote:

Finding a place to live is a priority when settling in Toronto. Your experience will be of a great help for the members who want to settle in Toronto.

Therefore, we have prepared some questions for you:

Is it hard to find a flat or a house for rent in Toronto?
[best to walk neighbourhoods you like at different times of day to get a feel for the foot traffic and noise etc. its worthwhile using the following websites: viewit.ca; globeandmail.com; torontostar classifieds; i would be cautious but its also useful to use craigslist and kajiji; be careful about providing deposits unless its a credit card so you can reverse charges taken erroneously; of course if budget allows, use local real estate agents for rentals as they often represent the better ones]

How much is the rental for a house, an apartment?
[homes can range from $2,200 + in the GTA or $1,800 in durham, richmond hill, brampton, mississauga; apartments: 1bdrm in GTA $900 to 1,300 for better units with a/c; condos avg $1,300 to 1,600 for 1bdrms which include the basic 5 applicances and a/c; 2bdms can range again from $1,400 to 2,200 depending on condition and location; duplexes are popular as they are often on two floors]

What are the formalities or the required documents for renting an accommodation?
[most applications require: proof of ID; proof of employment/income; letters of reference from your bank, employer, and sometimes previous landlords; your SIN for a credit check]

Which advice would you give?
[trust your gut; do not rent from anyone you don't get a good feel from; look at the condition of the property; smell...goes without saying, but a clean property is likely indicative of a well managed place; again, try and walk various neighbourhoods so you can see if you want to live there - toronto has so many distinct neighbourhoods and feeling like you fit is priceless; if you're commuting downtown, try and be on the subway line, or atleast a short bus from the nearest subway station; the "gotrain" is the commuter system linking suburbs but unless necessary, it can be tempermental and a pain dashing to make that train...]

Thanks in advance for participating!

hi christine, since i am born and raised in toronto and have moved a number of times myself, i thought i'd offer my suggestions. inserted them beneath your qs above.

cheers,
k