Neighbourhood guide
Living in Roncesvalles, Toronto
A streetcar main street of butchers, cafés, pubs and the Revue Cinema, with tall brick houses on the side streets and High Park next door. Here is what renting in Roncesvalles is actually like, how you get around, and the trade-offs locals talk about.
Village main street Next to High Park Brick houses Families
9 rentals available in Roncesvalles
What's it like to live in Roncesvalles?
Roncesvalles Avenue runs north from Queen Street West to Dundas West Station, with High Park along its west side and the streets around Sorauren Park to the east. The avenue is a village main street of shops with flats above, served by the 504 King streetcar, and the side streets are lined with tall brick Victorian and Edwardian houses. It has a long Polish history, and in 2021 about one resident in eleven still reported Polish origins.Most of the housing is old. In the City's Roncesvalles neighbourhood, two thirds of homes were built before 1961, 40% are in low rise buildings and about a quarter are in buildings of five or more storeys, and 41% are studios or one bedrooms. That census area is wider than the village, since it also takes in the blocks north of Queen as far east as Dufferin. Rentals are mostly flats in houses, apartments over the Roncesvalles storefronts and units in older rental buildings.It is a mix of renters and owners. Just over half of households rented in 2021, the median resident was 39 and households averaged 2.2 people. Rent sits a little under the city middle: in the 2021 census the median tenant household paid $1,400 a month for rent and utilities, against $1,500 across Toronto.Errands happen on Roncesvalles itself: Russell's Butcher & Deli, Alimentari Italian Grocery, the Anchor fish shop and Maple Produce for groceries, cafés like Reunion Coffee Roasters and Fantail, and restaurants and pubs near Howard Park, with Bandit Brewery around the corner on Dundas. The Revue Cinema is a minute from Howard Park Avenue, and the High Park library branch is further south on Roncesvalles. Sorauren Avenue Park is about 11 minutes east, and the lake at Sunnyside is across the Gardiner, about 25 minutes south on foot.The 504 King streetcar runs the length of Roncesvalles and reaches King and Bay in about 40 minutes. Dundas West Station on Line 2 is about ten minutes north on foot, and Bloor GO station beside it puts the UP Express nine minutes from Union and 20 from Pearson Airport. The trade-offs are a slow streetcar ride downtown and older houses, where heating, laundry and upkeep vary from one flat to the next.
Best suited for
- Couples and young families
- Runners and dog owners near High Park
- Renters who want a house flat
- Frequent flyers using Pearson
- –Commuters who need a fast trip downtown
- –Renters who want a new building
Quick facts
- Population14,600
- Renter households53%
- Median age39
- Homes built before 196167%
Getting around
The 504 King streetcar along the avenue, with Line 2 and the UP Express a short walk north at Dundas West.90/100
WalkabilityGroceries, cafés and the library along Roncesvalles78/100
Transit accessThree streetcar lines, Line 2 and the UP Express nearby70/100
CyclingQuiet side streets, with the lakefront trail south of QueenDundas West Station, Line 210 min walk
Union Station, from Bloor9 min by UP Express
King and Bay40 min by streetcar
Bloor GO station11 min walk
Pearson Airport, from Bloor20 min by UP Express
High Park17 min walk
Line 2 Bloor-Danforth
505 Dundas
504 King
506 Carlton
UP Express
Roncesvalles on the map
The neighbourhood outline, and the places listed further down the page.Schools and childcare
Howard Junior Public School is two minutes from Roncesvalles and Howard Park, St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School is about nine, and Bishop Marrocco/Thomas Merton is the nearby Catholic secondary on Bloor. Which school serves an address is set by the board, so check the TDSB and TCDSB school locators. Walk times are measured from Roncesvalles Avenue and Howard Park Avenue.| School | Type | Walk time |
|---|---|---|
Howard Junior Public School | Public · Elementary | 2 min |
Bishop Marrocco/Thomas Merton Catholic Secondary School | Catholic · Secondary | 8 min |
St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School | Catholic · Elementary | 9 min |
High Park Gardens Montessori School | Independent · Montessori | 9 min |
École secondaire Toronto Ouest | French public · Secondary | 12 min |
Fern Avenue Junior and Senior Public School | Public · Elementary | 13 min |
Garden Avenue Junior Public School | Public · Elementary | 15 min |
Around the neighbourhood
Walk times from Roncesvalles Avenue and Howard Park Avenue. Most shops are on Roncesvalles itself, between Dundas Street West and Queen.Groceries
- Russell's Butcher & Deli1 min
- Alimentari Italian Grocery5 min
- Anchor7 min
- Maple Produce10 min
Coffee and bakeries
- Coffee & All That Jazz1 min
- Reunion Coffee Roasters2 min
- Fantail4 min
- Mabel's5 min
Food and drink
- Loons Restaurant & Pub1 min
- Pik Thai1 min
- Darna1 min
- Bandit Brewery3 min
Parks
- Dundas Roncesvalles Peace Garden4 min
- Columbus Parkette6 min
- Sorauren Avenue Park11 min
- High Park17 min
Fitness
- Werkhaus Fitness Studio4 min
- Fit District4 min
- Fuel Training Club7 min
- Bloor St. Fitness 24/77 min
Everyday services
- Revue Cinema1 min
- Margis Pharmacy1 min
- Home Hardware4 min
- TPL: High Park Branch11 min
Rent with confidence in Roncesvalles
What Ontario tenancy rules protect, and how liv.rent keeps the process safe from first message to signed lease.Deposits are limited
A landlord in Ontario can ask for a rent deposit of up to one month of rent, and it can only be used for your last month. Damage and pet deposits are not allowed, and the landlord owes you interest on the rent deposit every year.Rent increases are limited
Most rents can go up once every 12 months, by no more than the provincial guideline, with 90 days of written notice. Units first lived in after November 15, 2018 are exempt from the guideline, though the landlord still has to give that notice.Every listing is verified
Landlords complete ID verification before they can post, and you can sign the lease and pay rent through liv.rent, so there is no e-transfer to a stranger.Good flats near High Park go quickly, and a rush of interest is exactly when fake listings appear. Never send a deposit before viewing the unit and meeting the landlord, and never pay outside a platform that keeps a record. A room where you share a kitchen or bathroom with the owner may not be covered by the Residential Tenancies Act, so ask before you sign. The tenancy points above are general information about renting in Ontario, not legal or financial advice. For guidance on your own tenancy, contact the Landlord and Tenant Board.How liv.rent verification works
Roncesvalles rental questions
Is Roncesvalles expensive compared with the rest of Toronto?
A little under average, on the census. In 2021 the median tenant household in the City's Roncesvalles neighbourhood paid $1,400 a month for rent and utilities, against $1,500 across Toronto. A flat listed today asks more than that median. CMHC's citywide average for an occupied purpose built apartment was $1,916 in October 2025.
Is there a subway station in Roncesvalles?
Dundas West Station on Line 2 is at the north end of Roncesvalles Avenue, about ten minutes on foot from Howard Park Avenue. The 504 King streetcar runs the length of the avenue and reaches King and Bay in about 40 minutes.
How do you get to the airport from Roncesvalles?
By the UP Express from Bloor GO station, beside Dundas West Station and about 11 minutes on foot from Roncesvalles and Howard Park. From Bloor the train reaches Pearson in about 20 minutes and Union Station in about nine.
Is Roncesvalles a good neighbourhood for families?
It is one of the west end's family neighbourhoods. Howard Junior Public School is two minutes from Roncesvalles and Howard Park, St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School is about nine, and High Park and Sorauren Avenue Park are within walking distance. Larger rentals are usually the main and upper floors of houses.
What should I check before renting a flat in a Roncesvalles house?
Ask whether utilities are included or split with the other units, whether there is laundry you can use, and how the space is heated. Basement units should have proper windows and a second way out. If you would share a kitchen or bathroom with the owner, the Residential Tenancies Act may not cover the arrangement.
Are Roncesvalles rentals covered by rent control?
Most flats in older houses and buildings are, as long as the unit was lived in before November 15, 2018. A unit first occupied after that date, such as a newly created basement apartment, is exempt from the provincial guideline, so the landlord can raise the rent by any amount with 90 days of written notice. Ask before you sign.
Is parking included with Roncesvalles rentals?
Sometimes. Some houses have a laneway or driveway spot, but much of the street parking is by permit, so ask whether a space comes with the unit and whether it costs extra.
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