Renting Sucks, But I'm Glad I Get to Partake
We fundamentally have less leeway than previous generations as we come into themselves, which is disappointing to say the least.
Hello!
Long time no see. I haven’t been very consistent with posting since IN FLUX’s debut, but certainly not because of a lack of incessant thoughts I’ve wanted to share, but largely because I was in the process of moving! As of publication, I am officially in my new apartment.
I’ve wanted to move since this time last year, but decided against it to focus on the transition from being in school into working full-time. Although I believe it was the right decision, I still couldn't help myself from imagining leaving my (shitty) student apartment for something more elevated, signifying the start of my new adult life. I’ve had the dream of living in my own modern, spacious and cozy apartment for as long as I can remember. To me, having this meant truly being a successful adult.
However, this has become far more unattainable for young people today. The statistics paint a grim picture. The average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Toronto was $886 in 2004, but has increased a staggering 94% to 2024’s $1,715. As a country, we are currently woefully unequipped to deal with this crisis, as Canada has the lowest number of housing units per 1,000 individuals out of the G7 countries.
The state of our housing system does no favours for our overall mental state. Research conducted in the Netherlands found a correlation between poor mental health and living in unaffordable housing. The authors examined the intersections of age and housing tenure, noting that homeowners overall have higher mental health scores compared to renters, no matter if they experience housing affordability stress. Young renters are at a double disadvantage, more likely to have poorer mental health no matter if they experience housing affordability stress.
It’s not lost on me that I was immensely privileged to move from my parents’ house at 19. I’m grateful that I had the opportunity to grow as an individual while away from my family, experimenting with different lifestyles free of judgment, while also having to maintain a healthy and peaceful home. I now believe that moving away from home shouldn’t be a marker of true success, irrespective of it being affordable for a person or not. It simply may not be the best decision for everyone and being with family can certainly help alleviate some of the stress of coming into adulthood.
I am upset that my generation has a clear lack of access to something that used to be so commonplace. It is certain that there are many young people who would like to move out, but can’t risk shooting themselves in the foot financially. Forging a life away from home is as beautiful as it is painful, and is something that must happen eventually, whether it be moving for schooling, jobs, starting a family or living life on your own terms. Young people today fundamentally have less leeway than previous generations as they are coming into themselves, and it’s disappointing to say the least.
Despite renting for only a few years so far, I am already jaded by the renter experience. The stress of apartment hunting, dealing with questionable landlords, and discovering all of your apartment’s “quirks” one by one has been a weighted journey.
Please read with caution the following renter horror-stories. Hopefully us all commiserating about them can help us feel less alone in our struggle.
I’ll start: At the start of last year, my previous apartment had an ant “issue” in the bathroom, near the shower in particular which made it even more disgusting. When the landlord came to look at it, they oh-so casually said there wasn’t much that could be done, adding that “they like to look for warmth” at that time of year, meaning we should just accept a border-line infestation in our home. So Wonderful!
“There were bees in the walls! The landlord fumigated a nearby unit but they didn’t warn us at all that there were bees OR that they were fumigating. So all the bees came inside our apartment. We had several in each of our rooms flying around and we were running around trying to catch them to bring them outside. They were in our apartment for days.”
“Living with a roommate that hardly cleaned their pots and pans. Eventually mold started growing.”
“I’d just moved into a dorm where I shared a bathroom with the dorm beside mine. I went to the bathroom for the first time and there was no hand soap… So I put some that I brought with me by the sink. After leaving it there my canmates started using it, have no idea what they were using before, if anything at all.”
“I was living in a landlord shared accommodation. She had a rule for “no noise after 11:00 pm”. So whenever I needed to take a call I had to be outside. There were days I would be out until 3 am walking around in the snow. Yup, the Canadian snow.”
I dearly hope that you are in a positive living situation, wherever that may be. One that feels like a home, rather than just a place where you live.
Amazing piece!!! Love this.