MoveSmart Rentals

Leasing Services · Toronto, ON

Leasing Services in Toronto

Full-service leasing for Toronto landlords. We list, market, show, screen, and sign your unit, syndicated to the MLS and 20 portals, with an 18-day average from listing to lease.

MLS + 20 portals · Broad listing exposure
18-day avg placement · Listing to signed lease
Compliant screening · Documented audit trail
No tenant, no fee18-day average to lease6-month replacement guaranteeCompliant with the RTA 2006

Why it matters

What goes wrong with leasing in Toronto alone

Leasing a Toronto unit on your own looks simple until the listing goes live. These are the problems landlords run into most often when they try to fill a unit without a dedicated leasing partner.

  • 01

    Mispricing in a block-by-block market

    Toronto rents swing dramatically between neighbourhoods, so a price that works in Scarborough fails in Yorkville. Guess too high and your unit sits collecting days on market. Guess too low and you lose real money across the entire lease term. We price from live comparables in your exact area.

  • 02

    Slow response loses applicants

    Toronto renters move fast and apply to several units at once. A reply that takes a day or two means the best applicants have already signed elsewhere. Self-managing landlords juggling jobs and other obligations rarely respond fast enough to compete, which quietly extends every vacancy.

  • 03

    Screening that exposes you legally

    Ontario's Human Rights Code restricts what you can ask and how you assess applicants, and a casual or inconsistent process can create legal exposure. Many landlords either screen too loosely and place a risky tenant, or improperly, and invite a complaint. Both outcomes are expensive to unwind.

  • 04

    Deposit and lease compliance mistakes

    Collecting a security or damage deposit is not legal in Ontario, and skipping the Ontario Standard Lease creates problems at the Landlord and Tenant Board later. Landlords unfamiliar with the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 routinely make paperwork errors that weaken their position before the tenancy even begins.

  • 05

    Vacancy cost while you do it all yourself

    Every week a Toronto unit sits empty is lost rent you never recover. Photographing, listing, fielding inquiries, hosting showings, screening, and preparing a compliant lease is a full workload. Doing it part-time stretches the vacancy and the carrying cost grows with every day the unit stays open.

Full-service leasing in Toronto

Every rental service, one team

One accountable point of contact for the full leasing engine, from pricing and marketing through screening, the lease, and move-in.

Self-managed vs MoveSmart

The same vacancy, two outcomes

Same Toronto unit, same week it goes vacant. The difference is who runs the lease-up.

Time to lease

Yourself

Weeks of solo showings and chasing replies

MoveSmart

18-day average, showings 7 days a week

List price

Yourself

Guesswork; overpricing costs a full month

MoveSmart

Priced to live comparables within 1 km

Exposure

Yourself

One or two free listing sites

MoveSmart

MLS + 20 rental portals

Screening

Yourself

A credit check and a gut feel

MoveSmart

Credit, income, employment, references, documented

The lease

Yourself

Generic template, compliance risk

MoveSmart

Ontario Standard Lease, e-signed and filed

Your cost

Yourself

$0 fee, but your time and vacancy risk

MoveSmart

One month’s rent, only when a tenant signs

If it falls through

Yourself

Start over and pay to re-list

MoveSmart

6-month replacement, no second fee

Free Tool

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Based on CMHC Rental Market ReportStatistics Canada · Updated quarterly

Market context

The Toronto rental market

The Toronto rental market is defined by deep, persistent demand and intense competition for well-presented units. With a population of about 2,794,356, Toronto draws renters from every direction: new immigrants settling near family and work, students attending the University of Toronto, Toronto Metropolitan University, and George Brown College, and professionals who choose to rent rather than buy in an expensive ownership market.

Demand drivers are concentrated around transit. Units near subway lines, GO stations, and major bus routes consistently attract more applicants than comparable units further from service. Employment hubs in the financial district, the hospital corridors, and the growing tech clusters keep professional renters circulating year-round.

For landlords, this means a Toronto unit rarely lacks interest, but interest does not equal a signed lease. The difference comes from accurate pricing, fast response to inquiries, and disciplined screening. MoveSmart leases your Toronto unit by treating each of those steps as a discipline rather than an afterthought, so your unit converts attention into a qualified, lease-signing tenant instead of sitting open while applicants drift to competing listings nearby.

A Toronto rental staged and ready for showings — MoveSmart Rentals

What you get

Leasing across Toronto's neighbourhoods

Leasing in Toronto changes block by block, so we price and market each unit to its specific neighbourhood. Downtown is condo-dense and turns over fast, rewarding professional photography and same-week showings for studios and one-bedrooms near transit and the financial core.

North York blends condo towers along Yonge with detached family homes, attracting both young professionals and families, so positioning depends on the unit type. Etobicoke skews toward families and commuters who value space, parking, and access to the Gardiner and Bloor subway. Scarborough offers value-oriented rentals popular with families and newcomers, where affordability and transit access drive applications.

East York appeals to renters who want a quieter, residential feel close to downtown, often couples and small families. Yorkville is premium territory where presentation and discretion matter most for high-end tenants. The Annex draws students and academics near the University of Toronto, where speed during the academic cycle is everything. Liberty Village is young, walkable, and condo-heavy, attracting professionals who pay for lifestyle and proximity. We tailor every listing to the renter your neighbourhood actually attracts.

Leasing legally in Ontario

The rules that protect you

Every MoveSmart placement is run to Ontario law, so the lease you sign holds up and your decisions are defensible.

Residential Tenancies Act, 2006

The RTA 2006 governs most private residential tenancies in Ontario, administered by the Landlord and Tenant Board.

Ontario Standard Lease

The government Standard Lease (Form 2229E) is mandatory for most tenancies signed since April 30, 2018. We prepare it on every placement.

Human Rights Code screening

Screening follows the OHRC: no disqualifying protected grounds, no rigid 30 percent income rule, no automatic refusal for thin credit.

2026 rent increase guideline

The 2026 guideline is 2.1 percent, with at least 90 days written notice and one increase every 12 months for rent-controlled units.

Non-payment and the LTB

Unpaid rent runs through an N4 notice (now a 7-day termination period under Bill 60) to the Landlord and Tenant Board.

New market rent on vacancy

Between tenancies you may set a new market rent. We price each vacancy to the live comparable set.

Defensible & documented

How we lease your Toronto unit

We lease your Toronto unit through a defined end-to-end process designed to compress your vacancy and protect your placement. It starts with a walkthrough and pricing analysis grounded in real comparable listings in your specific neighbourhood, not a citywide guess.

Next, we prepare the unit for market: professional photography, a written listing that highlights what your tenant pool actually searches for, and syndication across the platforms Toronto renters use. We field inquiries quickly, because in this market a slow reply is a lost applicant.

We then coordinate and host showings, both individual and grouped, working with RECO-licensed broker partners to keep everything compliant. Qualified applicants move into screening, where we verify income, employment, credit, and references against Ontario's legal standards. Once we identify the right tenant, we prepare the Ontario Standard Lease, collect the legally permitted deposit, and coordinate signing and move-in.

Then our work ends. We do not collect rent, handle maintenance, or manage your property afterward. You receive a signed lease and a screened, qualified tenant, backed by our six-month replacement guarantee, with an average placement time of about 18 days.

Documented tenant screening for Toronto, ON rentals — MoveSmart Rentals

We don't get paid until your Toronto unit is leased. That single line rewrites how a leasing file gets run.

The MoveSmart success-fee promise

Transparent pricing

Leasing fees in Toronto

No upfront cost and no monthly percentage, ever. You pay a one-time success fee equivalent to one month of contracted rent, due only when a qualified tenant signs the lease.

Leasing & tenant placement

One month rent

One-time success fee, billed only when a tenant signs. $0 upfront.

  • Professional photography and video
  • MLS and 20 portal syndication
  • Tenant screening and background checks
  • Showings and applicant management
  • Lease drafting, e-signing, and deposits
  • Move-in coordination and key handover
  • 6-month Tenant Replacement Guarantee

Optional add-ons

As needed

Layer on extra coverage when it fits the property.

  • Rent Protection, quoted by partner
  • Paid advertising, pass-through at cost
  • Institutional lease-up, custom RFP
  • GST/HST excluded; confirmed in writing first

Our promise

The MoveSmart Tenant Replacement Guarantee

If a tenant we place leaves within the first six months, we re-market and re-place the unit at no additional success fee. You are not paying twice for one vacancy.

  • First 6 months covered
  • No additional fee
  • Same screening standard

The detail

Everything that goes into leasing in Toronto

Pricing, marketing, screening, cost, and renewals, broken down so you know exactly what we do and why it works in this market.

01

Pricing your Toronto rental right

Pricing your Toronto rental right is the single biggest lever on how fast it leases and how good your tenant is. We set your price from current comparable listings in your exact neighbourhood, accounting for unit type, size, condition, parking, and proximity to transit, because a one-bedroom in Liberty Village and one in Scarborough answer to entirely different markets.

The cost of mispricing runs in both directions. Price too high and your unit lingers, accumulates days on market, and signals to renters that something is wrong, which forces a later price cut from a position of weakness. Price too low and you leave real money on the table for the full length of the lease term.

We price to attract a strong pool of qualified applicants quickly, because competition among good tenants protects you better than a single desperate one. Rather than quoting fabricated figures, we ground every recommendation in live market evidence and explain the tradeoffs so you decide with full information. The goal is a fast lease at a fair, defensible price that holds up against the comparables a prospective tenant will inevitably check themselves.

02

Marketing and showings in Toronto

Marketing your Toronto rental well is what turns a quiet listing into a competitive one. We start with professional photography, because in a condo-saturated, image-driven market, the first photo decides whether a renter clicks or scrolls past. Strong visuals consistently outperform phone snapshots in both volume and quality of inquiries.

We write listings that lead with what Toronto renters search for: transit proximity, parking, in-unit features, and neighbourhood character specific to your area, whether that is the walkability of Liberty Village or the family appeal of Etobicoke. The listing is then syndicated across the major rental platforms and channels where active Toronto renters actually look.

Showings are where momentum is won or lost. We respond to inquiries fast, schedule efficiently, and host showings through RECO-licensed broker partners, using both individual and grouped viewings to create healthy competition among interested renters. We pre-qualify interest before booking time, so showings are filled with serious prospects rather than tire-kickers. The result is concentrated exposure, strong applicant flow, and a shorter path to a signed lease, which is how we hold an average placement time of about 18 days.

03

Tenant screening under Ontario law

Tenant screening under Ontario law is where placement quality is made or lost, and we screen rigorously while staying fully within the rules. Ontario's Human Rights Code prohibits discrimination on grounds such as race, ancestry, place of origin, family status, disability, sex, and receipt of public assistance, so we never screen on protected grounds. We evaluate every applicant on legitimate, consistent criteria.

That means verifying employment and income, reviewing credit history, confirming rental references from prior landlords, and checking identity. We apply the same standards to every applicant for a given unit, which both protects you and keeps the process defensible.

It is important to know what Ontario permits. The Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 governs the relationship, and landlords may request credit references and income information, but rules around what can be required and how applicants are assessed are specific. We work within them. Our screening is designed to surface a tenant who can pay reliably and respect the unit, while protecting you from the legal and financial exposure of a rushed or improper assessment. A screened tenant is the foundation of our six-month replacement guarantee.

04

Lease execution and compliance in Toronto

Lease execution in Toronto must follow specific Ontario requirements, and we handle that paperwork correctly so your tenancy starts on solid legal footing. Most residential tenancies in Ontario require the Ontario Standard Lease, the government-mandated form, and we prepare it accurately with your terms reflected.

Deposits in Ontario are tightly regulated. Landlords may collect a rent deposit, commonly the last month's rent, but security or damage deposits are not permitted under the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006. We make sure only legally allowed deposits are collected, and that rent deposit interest obligations are understood, so you do not inherit a compliance problem on day one.

The Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 and the Landlord and Tenant Board set the framework for the entire tenancy, including notice rules and dispute resolution. While we do not manage your property after signing, we make sure the lease you start with is compliant, complete, and clear. That includes confirming required disclosures and using correct Ontario forms. A clean, properly executed lease reduces the risk of future disputes and gives both you and your tenant a clear, enforceable agreement from the first day.

05

What leasing costs in Toronto

What leasing costs in Toronto with MoveSmart is simple: nothing until we deliver. We charge no upfront fees. Our success fee equals one month of rent, and it is earned only when a qualified tenant signs the lease and moves into your unit. If we do not place a tenant, you pay nothing.

This success-fee model aligns our incentives directly with yours. We are motivated to lease your unit quickly and to the strongest available tenant, because our payment depends entirely on a completed placement, not on hours billed or listings posted.

Every placement is backed by a six-month replacement guarantee. If the tenant we place leaves within that window under qualifying conditions, we find a replacement at no additional placement fee. Combined with our average placement time of about 18 days, this structure removes the financial risk that normally comes with marketing a vacant unit yourself.

To be clear about scope: this is a leasing and tenant-placement service. We do not collect rent, coordinate repairs, or provide ongoing oversight after the lease is signed. You pay one transparent fee for one clear outcome, a screened tenant in a signed, compliant Ontario lease.

Choose Your Path

Two doors, one standard

Whether you own the property or are searching for your next home, MoveSmart Rentals runs the same disciplined playbook on both sides of the lease.

Premium single-family rental home at dusk
01 / Owners

Hands-off leasing, brick by brick

For Property Owners

Full-service leasing and tenant placement with zero upfront cost. Strategic pricing, professional marketing, tenant qualification, lease execution, and a documented move-in - hands-off leasing from listing to keys.

  • 18-Day Avg Placement
  • Defensible Qualification
  • Rental Protection
  • MLS + 20+ platforms
  • Dedicated Leasing Advisor
  • Owner Portal
Zero upfrontOwner Services
Bright, professionally staged apartment interior
02 / Tenants

Verified listings, honest pricing

For Tenants

Find your next home from our pipeline of professionally listed rentals across Canada and the United States. Verified listings, transparent pricing, and a smooth application-to-move-in experience.

  • Verified Listings
  • Online Applications
  • Online Payments
  • Transparent Pricing
  • Responsive Leasing Team
  • Secure E-Sign
Zero upfrontBrowse Rentals
Same team, both sides of the lease

Areas we serve

Local coverage across Toronto

A dedicated leasing page for each Toronto district, with rents, demand and lease times specific to that pocket of the city.

  • 01Downtown
  • 02North York
  • 03Etobicoke

Beyond Toronto

Leasing across the region

The same leasing pipeline and standard runs across the surrounding cities. One point of contact for a portfolio spread across more than one market.

Free - No Obligation

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Frequently Asked

Frequently asked questions

Our average placement time is about 18 days, though it varies by neighbourhood, unit type, season, and pricing. A correctly priced, well-photographed unit near transit in an area like Liberty Village or Downtown typically moves faster than an overpriced or hard-to-show listing. We compress the timeline by responding to inquiries quickly and pre-qualifying interest before booking showings.

Ready to start leasing in Toronto?

Zero upfront, success-fee pricing, and a documented, compliant lease. One number, one accountable team.