Looking for a place to rent in Hamilton? Here’s one for $6,800
Folks on the lookout for rental housing in Hamilton are fully aware of the crisis in affordability, but one house in the Durand neighbourhood makes the area's monthly average look downright cheap.
For $6,800 you can rent this five-bedroom (also listed as seven-bedroom) Aberdeen Avenue home in the shadow of the escarpment.
The listing for 32 Aberdeen Ave. boasts a 5,000-plus-square-foot home like Rosedale in Toronto."
Folks familiar with pre-COVID Hamilton's Airbnb market, might remember this mini mansion as a short-term rental.
But now, the one-year lease for this four-bath, two-powder-room house would set you back over $80,000 per year.
Those struggling to understand the wild rental market could park five-plus cars at this home near St. Joe's hospital.
And though the Aberdeen house falls far outside the average, Rentals.ca is reporting soaring rates, with one-bedroom units averaging over $1,400 and the two-bedroom average reaching nearly $1,900 in their June report for the area.
Would-be renters might be somewhat relieved to know that there are still plenty of units listed for less than $1,300.
Looking for something in the triple digits online will bring far fewer results and mostly rooms in shared accommodations. The cheapest in the city is a student-oriented, fully furnished room in a home at 9 Ward Ave., near McMaster University, for $275.
Those waiting for rents to drop will likely be dismayed, with reported bidding wars on units, corporations targeting Canadian cities for rental housing schemes and realtors warning of added competition once the Canadian border reopens.
A few average-looking rentals in the $1,200 to $1,400 range are 647 Fennell Ave. E. on the Mountain, 236 James St. N. downtown, and 355 Melvin Ave. in the east end.
On Fennell, a two-bedroom basement is listed for $1,295.
The unit is listed as a monthly rental with laundry. A job letter, credit report, pay stub, bank statements and references are required.
On James Street North the two-bedroom loft apartment is listed for $1,350, but also $1,450 plus hydro. That one-year lease is pet-friendly and requires proof of income and a credit check.
In the east end, a one-bedroom apartment in Redhill Tower is listed for $1,300 per month.
Jeremy Kemeny is a Hamilton-based web editor at The Spectator. Reach him via email: jkemeny@thespec.com