Thanks almost everybody.Hey thanks.
What do you mean "Any place you want to live will be competitive"?
Popular neighbourhoods will have lots of people viewing a unit. ie; Terrible wet dog smelling hole in the wall apartment on Roncesvalles had a dozen people viewing it, many with cheque in hand ready to rent.. even after they saw the condition of the unit, because it was on Roncesvalles.
You can rent without hassle in parts of the city. You could walk into my building and rent a one bedroom most months of the year. It's a clean building with great landlords, and next to transit. But it's on the west end of the High Park and generally hidden away from the more desirable Bloor West and Roncesvalles in the area.
So if you're looking for any place in the core, the Annex, Roncesvalles, the Junction, Yonge and St Clair, Yonge and Eg, you might be competing with others when it comes to renting.
One of your best bets is to simply walk around neighbourhoods you like and look for RENTING signs and just property management signs. If you can get in before they start advertising everywhere, you'll give yourself a much better shot. And there are the few weird buildings that don't list online much at all.
Even with all the competition for renting in the desirable spots, don't rush into something if you have questions about the building. Cross check bedbugregistery online, and make sure the building is up to code. But when you find a building you do like make sure you can get a certified cheque from your bank ASAP.
Good luck!
He means you won't be the only person trying to rent it if it's a good place.
Not always the good places.. see Roncesvalles story above.