posting rules and formats / PUBLIC GUIDANCE
Rent Cap Guidance
Corrects the previous public claim that these caps were based on CMHC/StatsCan data -- they were not. The real derivation is City of Toronto affordable-housing maximums plus internal community calibration, as confirmed directly by the TOHS founder. This content is now a section within the Posting Rules page (not a standalone page); /cap should redirect here.
To keep listings affordable and dignified, Toronto Home Zone applies a rent cap to offering posts:
Private room: $1,750/month
Studio unit: assessed case-by-case
1-bedroom unit: $2,800/month
2-bedroom unit: $3,400/month
3+ bedroom unit: assessed case-by-case
Where these numbers come from: these caps were originally derived from the City of Toronto's affordable rental housing maximums, then adjusted using our own community's historical data at the time they were introduced -- typical member budgets and the price points of the majority of offering posts at that time. This combination accounts for unit quality, location, and what's included in the rent. Since introducing these caps, moderation disputes over pricing have dropped to nearly zero, and the caps have proven to strike the right balance -- they haven't needed to change since.
How dens are counted: a den (a room without a window or door) is not counted as a bedroom when assessing the cap. A "2-bedroom + den" listing is assessed as a plain 2-bedroom unit, not a 3-bedroom unit.
How variable pricing is assessed: if a listing shows a range or a discounted starting price, moderators use the maximum price shown to check it against the cap.