Airbnb Rental Arbitrage in Toronto

Are you interested in achieving financial independence through passive income? Here’s a disclaimer: You don’t need to own a property to start the Airbnb rental arbitrage business!

Moreover, one of the most important factors to consider is the location and among the best cities to own a rental property in Canada is Toronto.

In this article, we featured the entire process of Airbnb rental arbitrage in Toronto, its profitability, along the best areas and neighborhoods. Continue reading to learn more about short-term regulations and ways to convince landlords to sublet properties for rental arbitrage!

What is Rental Arbitrage? 

Rental Arbitrage is a way to start an Airbnb business with no money. By convincing landlords to lease you a property, you can furnish and sublease it on Airbnb and VRBO. No need for you to buy a property! 

It is perfectly legal and is a proven scalable business model. In my podcast, I have spoken to various entrepreneurs doing Airbnb arbitrage full-time. 

Here’s a proof! In Toronto, Julie manages 42 listings and I’m pretty sure she doesn’t own all the properties. She made C$1,737,314 in the last 12 months.  

Toronto airbnb rental arbitrage

Is Airbnb legal in Canada?

Here’s the catch: Airbnb is certainly legal in Canada! As particularly stated in Airbnb rules in Toronto, hosts are prohibited to operate less than 28 nights at a time for listings that don’t have a valid registration number. Listen to one of our featured hosts from Toronto in our podcast, Into The Airbnb:

How much can I make with rental arbitrage in Toronto?

Before you dive in and start putting out your hard-earned money on a property, it’s important to know how much profit you can make. For instance, the best neighborhood to invest in is Yorkville, located in the M5R district, which is the fastest-growing area in the country. 

Since this neighborhood is situated near upscale restaurants and tourist destinations, it’s mostly preferred by tourists & young professionals – and has an incredible rental demand!

How much can I make with rental arbitrage in Toronto?

Before you dive in and start putting out your hard-earned money on a property, it’s important to know how much profit you can make. For instance, the best neighborhood to invest in is Yorkville, located in the M5R district, which is the fastest-growing area in the country. 

Since this neighborhood is situated near upscale restaurants and tourist destinations, it’s mostly preferred by tourists & young professionals – and has an incredible rental demand.

Toronto airbnb rental arbitrage

Profit & Monthly Expense in Toronto

Based on Airbtics’ data, you can earn a whopping C$10,634 per month for a 3-bedroom apartment in Yorkville alone. With the data provided, you can certainly tell that investing in a property in Toronto is profitable!

Source: Airbtics dashboard

The monthly profit can be calculated by subtracting the Airbnb monthly revenue, the rental price and the monthly expenses (C$10,634-C$4,500-C$2,127= C$4,007).

 Startup Cost in Toronto

Now that you have an overview of how much your monthly expense and revenue is, let’s talk about the start-up cost! How long does it take for an investor like you to get back the startup cost? Let’s take a look at this calculation:

The average estimated startup cost (for furnishing) in Toronto is around C$2,000. To compute the total startup cost, it is necessary to add the 2 months of average rent price (C$4,500). Now that we have a total startup cost of C$11,000, cash return time can be calculated by dividing this by the monthly profit (C$4,007). 

Given your monthly revenue of C$4,007, it will take approximately 3 months time to get back the startup cost! In such a short period of time, you can already expect profit and consider starting your second unit for rental arbitrage. If this sounds promising to you, then go ahead and look at the other best areas for rental arbitrage in Toronto.

Best Areas for Rental Arbitrage in Toronto

Before investing in a particular area in Toronto, you have to take a look at the top markets and number of listings to set your expectations towards success. Check out the top 3 boroughs in Toronto ranked by their annual revenue, along with their occupancy & daily rates!

1. Cabbagetown

This popular and historic neighbourhood located in the downtown of Toronto is home to many artists, musicians, and writers. It’s a preferred area for many young professionals and people who want to enjoy the energy of this culturally rich place! 

According to our Airbtics Dashboard, there are more than 93 Airbnb listings with 24 condo properties and 3 one-bedroom properties in this area. The monthly revenue for most properties in Cabbagetown is more than C$2,135 per month with occupancy being more than 71%.

2. King West 

Located in Toronto’s downtown area, King West is claimed to have the most attractive property types. It is also the city’s largest and busiest transit route and is home to many business professionals! Here’s what you can expect in this neighborhood:

This area has a total of 331 Airbnb listings with 221 condo properties and 206 one-bedroom properties. The monthly revenue for most properties in King West is more than C$2,940 per month with occupancy being more than 68%.

3. Yorkville 

If you are looking to target various kinds of tourists and prefer long-term profitability in the business, this area might be the best one to invest in! Home to Canada’s most exclusive shopping districts, this borough is one of the fastest-growing areas in the country. Here’s what you can expect in this neighborhood:

This area has a total of 155 Airbnb listings with 17 private room properties and 101 one-bedroom properties in this area. The monthly revenue for most properties in Yorkville is more than C$3,282 per month with occupancy being more than 72%.

how much can you make on airbnb