The $1250 apartment in Toronto is a good litmus test for the state of the rental market in general. Unsurprisingly, then, the first thing you notice about units at this price point is that you get less than what you used to. Where $1250 once easily secured a nice aboveground one-bedroom, today one sees more and more basements and bachelors.

Here's a sample of apartments listed for $1250 in Toronto.

$1250 near Dundas and Bathurst
You won't get a dedicated bedroom at this studio on Dundas West, but the kitchen is new and separated from the living/sleeping space. There's natural light thanks to the main floor location, but overall space is limited.

$1250 north of the Danforth
There was a time when this price point would easily secure you an aboveground apartment that was nicely finished, but today you'll find many basements at $1250. This one in the Playter Estates neighbourhood has ample space and a decent kitchen, but you'd think you'd get a nice floor for the amount of cash you're laying down.

$1250 in Birchcliff
If you're willing to get out of the core and aren't too worried about immediate access to the subway, you can get a lot of apartment in this price range. This unit at Kingston Rd. and Warden features a brand new kitchen and bathroom plus hardwood floors throughout. It's not enormous, but the ample green space nearby is a boon.

$1200 beside High Park
You might not get a ton of natural light in this basement near High Park, but the walls sure are colourful. The unit is a decent size with an interesting open window to the kitchen and in-house laundry, but you're definitely pay a lot for location here.

$1250 on Queen West
One thing you'll see a lot of in this price range is apartments that are listed as one bedrooms that are really more like bachelors. Here the kitchen is meant to double as the living space, but the layout doesn't really support that reasoning in practice. Still, the appliances are nice, the space is bright, and the location is excellent.

$1240 near Islington
There are basement apartments, and then there are apartments like this. At about a 10 minute walk to Royal York Station, this west end unit is 850 square feet with an open concept design and a lovely kitchen. Thanks to its spaciousness, it's anything but a cramped underground space.

Would you pay the asking price for any of these apartments? Let us know in the comments.