Ontario landlord catches heat for listing two-bedroom apartment 'ideal for 7 students'

Searching for a budget-friendly place to call home in Ontario's pricey real estate market can be like trying to find a needle in a haystack, as evidenced by the influx of alarming listings that plague rental websites like Facebook Marketplace and Kijiji. 

Often, securing a living space that's easy on the wallet means compromising your privacy, and this latest questionable listing out of Waterloo is no exception. 

While the pictures of the space are enough to raise questions on their own, the listing was reshared across social media multiple times over the past month due to its description, or rather, the number of tenants it called for. 

The listing for the two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment notes that it's "ideal for seven students or two couples," although many on Reddit quickly disagreed after seeing the space. 

"Ideal for 7 students"
byu/iamericj inSlumlordsCanada

On top of the lack of space, the landlord notes that tenants must submit individual applications and will be charged $450 per month each, which includes hydro. 

"Okay this is absolutely disgusting. Cram them in like sardines," one person wrote on Reddit. 

"These ads like this, are these condo owners trying to squeeze maximum dollars out of their unit to pay the mortgage off as fast as possible? Or did one person get approved for a two-bedroom apartment and then advertise and want to make a profit off the lease and never live there," another user asked. 

"I still get confused by these ads. I mean, I understand them. I do. But I see '$450 a month, seven students' and I go 'hey, good deal.' Then I realize it's not 450/7, each paying 65, it's 450x7, landlord getting $3150," one comment reads. 

Others alleged that the landlord might be attempting to take advantage of students, considering the listing's proximity to Wilfrid Laurier University's campus. 

This isn't the only listing in Ontario to ignite heated responses this month. Another Mississauga landlord recently received an onslaught of criticism for listing a shared room with four beds for $600 per tenant.