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Neighbourhood guide

Living in the Annex, Toronto

Victorian houses cut into flats, apartment buildings along Spadina Road, and the University of Toronto at the bottom of the street, with two subway lines underneath. Here is what renting in the Annex is actually like, how you get around, and the trade-offs locals talk about.
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Victorian houses Students Two subway lines Bookshops and cafés
17 rentals available in the Annex
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What's it like to live in the Annex?

The Annex sits north of the University of Toronto, from Bloor Street West up to the railway tracks along Dupont, between Bathurst Street and Avenue Road. Its streets are lined with big Victorian and Edwardian houses in red brick and sandstone, built in the decades after the City annexed the area in 1887, which is where the name comes from, and mostly divided into flats since. Spadina Road and Walmer Road add a run of older apartment buildings and a few towers.That mix shapes what you can rent. In the City's Annex neighbourhood, which also counts Seaton Village and Yorkville, about 40% of homes were built before 1961, 28% are in low rise buildings and 55% in buildings of five or more storeys. Just under half are studios or one bedrooms. The flats in houses are where the character is, and where you should ask about heating, laundry and who else shares the front door.Close to six in ten households rent, and the neighbourhood skews to students, academics and people who arrived as students and stayed. The median resident was about 40 in 2021, the same as the city, and households are small, 1.8 people on average. In the 2021 census the median tenant household paid $1,740 a month for rent and utilities, against $1,500 across Toronto.Bloor Street between Spadina and Bathurst is the Annex's main street: bookshops, cheap restaurants, bars, the Miles Nadal JCC and Wiener's Home Hardware. Metro and Bulk Barn are steps from Bloor and Brunswick, the Spadina Road library branch is around the corner, and the parks are small ones tucked between the houses, like Jean Sibelius Square.Transit is the Annex's strongest card. Line 2 runs under Bloor with stations at Bathurst, Spadina and St George, and Line 1 crosses it at Spadina and St George on its way downtown, so Union Station is about 11 minutes from Spadina station and Bloor-Yonge about five. The 510 Spadina streetcar runs south to Kensington Market and Chinatown.

Best suited for

  • University of Toronto students and staff
  • Renters without a car
  • Fans of older buildings
  • Book lovers
  • –Renters who want in suite laundry
  • –Drivers who need parking

Quick facts

  • Population29,300
  • Renter households59%
  • Median age40
  • Homes built before 196140%

Getting around

Two subway lines meet under the neighbourhood, with streetcars south on Spadina and Bathurst.

95/100

WalkabilityGroceries, bookshops and campus all on foot

96/100

Transit accessThree Line 2 stations and two Line 1 stations nearby

88/100

CyclingFlat and compact, with bike lanes on Harbord Street
Bathurst Station, Line 25 min walk
U of T, Robarts Library10 min walk
Union Station, from Spadina11 min by subway
Spadina Station, Lines 1 and 26 min walk
Bloor-Yonge, from Spadina5 min by subway
Kensington Market, from Spadina Station8 min by streetcar
Line 2 Bloor-Danforth
Line 1 Yonge-University
510 Spadina
511 Bathurst
7 Bathurst
127 Davenport
13 Avenue Rd
26 Dupont

The Annex on the map

The neighbourhood outline, and the places listed further down the page.

Schools and childcare

The Annex has two public elementary schools, two public secondary schools close by, and several independent schools on its quiet side streets. Which public school serves an address is set by the board, so check the TDSB school locator. Walk times are measured from Bloor Street West and Brunswick Avenue.
SchoolTypeWalk time
Huron Street Junior Public School
Public · Elementary10 min
Palmerston Avenue Junior Public School
Public · Elementary10 min
Central Technical School
Public · Secondary6 min
Harbord Collegiate Institute
Public · Secondary12 min
University of Toronto Schools
Independent · Secondary6 min
Royal St. George's College
Independent · Boys7 min
Paul Penna Downtown Jewish Day School
Independent · Elementary4 min
Taddle Creek Montessori School
Independent · Montessori6 min

Around the neighbourhood

Walk times from Bloor Street West and Brunswick Avenue. A few of these sit just west of Bathurst in Seaton Village.

Groceries

  • Bulk Barn1 min
  • Metro3 min
  • Village Market6 min
  • Karma Food Cooperative10 min

Coffee and bakeries

  • Slanted Door2 min
  • Kensington Natural Bakery & Cafe2 min
  • La La Bakeshop4 min
  • Harbord Bakery & Calandria7 min

Food and drink

  • Future Bistro1 min
  • Brown Donkatsu1 min
  • Indian Desire1 min
  • Blanco Cantina1 min

Parks

  • Joseph Burr Tyrrell Park1 min
  • Seaton Park4 min
  • Matt Cohen Park5 min
  • Jean Sibelius Square10 min

Fitness and rinks

  • Vive Fitness5 min
  • Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre8 min
  • Basecamp Climbing12 min
  • William H. Bolton Arena13 min

Everyday services

  • Wiener's Home Hardware1 min
  • Shoppers Drug Mart3 min
  • Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre4 min
  • TPL: Spadina Road Branch5 min

Rent with confidence in the Annex

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.
The Annex sees a rush of student renters every August, many booking from abroad, and scam listings follow the demand. Never send a deposit before viewing a unit, and never pay outside a platform that keeps a record. A room in a shared house may not be covered by the Residential Tenancies Act if you share a kitchen or bathroom with the owner, 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

Annex rental questions

Is the Annex expensive compared with the rest of Toronto?

Somewhat. In the 2021 census the median tenant household in the City's Annex neighbourhood, which also includes Seaton Village and Yorkville, paid $1,740 a month for rent and utilities, against $1,500 across Toronto. That covers everyone renting in 2021, including long tenancies held down by rent control, so a unit listed today asks more. CMHC's citywide average for October 2025 was $1,916.

Is the Annex a good place to live for U of T students?

It is the classic choice. Robarts Library is about a ten minute walk from Bloor and Brunswick, the St. George campus starts just south of Bloor, and rooms and small flats in the old houses are the cheapest way to live this close. Demand peaks in July and August, so start looking early for a September move.

Which subway stations serve the Annex?

Line 2 has three: Bathurst, Spadina and St George, all on Bloor. Line 1 runs through Spadina and St George as well, so from the Annex you can be at Union Station in about 11 minutes and at Bloor-Yonge in about five without changing trains.

What should I check before renting a flat in an Annex house?

Ask how the unit is heated and who pays for it, whether there is laundry in the building, and how many other units share the entrance. Older houses can be draughty in January. If you would share a kitchen or bathroom with the owner, the Residential Tenancies Act may not cover the arrangement, so get that clear before you sign.

Is the Annex a good neighbourhood for families?

Families do live here, mostly in the larger flats and houses. Huron Street and Palmerston Avenue public schools are about ten minutes away on foot, and there are several independent schools nearby. The parks are small, so families tend to use Christie Pits and the university grounds for space.

Is parking included with Annex rentals?

Usually not. Most flats in houses have no parking, and street parking on residential blocks is by permit. With two subway lines on the doorstep, most renters here do without a car.

When is the best time to look for a rental in the Annex?

Competition peaks in July and August ahead of the university year, when a lot of leases also turn over. Spring and late fall are calmer, with fewer students in the market.
Ready to look? Browse Annex rentalsStudios from $1,899 to 2 beds from $2,880
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Methodology

Places, parks, schools and transit routes on this page come from OpenStreetMap. Walk times are approximate. Population, age and how many households rent come from Statistics Canada's 2021 Census, as the City of Toronto publishes it for its Annex neighbourhood. Rent and vacancy come from CMHC's Rental Market Survey for October 2025, for the City of Toronto. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Toronto.Listing counts and prices come from liv.rent, so they show what's on the platform rather than the whole city.OpenStreetMap, Statistics Canada, CMHC, Open Government Licence – Toronto. Last updated October 2026.