Features

ScreeningMarketingLeasesAutomationManagementSponsored ListingsSee all features

Use case

LandlordsProperty ManagersBrokerages

Features

Browse ListingsVerified ListingsAutomationBitcoin PaymentsSee all features

Rent Reports

VancouverTorontoMontrealAlbertaWinnipeg

Learn

AboutRenter ResourcesLandlord ResourcesFAQ
Book a demoContact support
Neighbourhood guide

Living in Willowdale, Toronto

Condo towers along Yonge Street in North York, with Line 1 underneath, big Asian grocers, a central library and a civic square, and quiet house streets a block away. Here is what renting in Willowdale is actually like, how you get around, and the trade-offs locals talk about.
Check availability
Line 1 Condo towers Asian grocers North York Centre
3 rentals available in Willowdale
Check availability

What's it like to live in Willowdale?

Willowdale is a large part of North York on both sides of Yonge Street. Its busiest stretch, and the focus here, is Yonge between Sheppard and Finch: North York Centre, where condo towers line the street around Mel Lastman Square, the North York Civic Centre and the central library, with quieter streets of houses a block back on either side.This page's figures are three City neighbourhoods together: Yonge-Doris, the tower strip along Yonge, with Willowdale West and East Willowdale on either side. Across them, 67% of homes are in buildings of five or more storeys, 31% were built since 2006 and 22% are single detached houses, and six residents in ten were immigrants.About four households in ten rented in 2021. Rent sits above the city middle: the median tenant household paid $1,960 a month for rent and utilities in Yonge-Doris, $1,800 in Willowdale West and $2,000 in East Willowdale, against $1,500 across Toronto. 28% of commuters took transit and 61% drove.T&T Supermarket is a minute from Yonge and Park Home, with Galleria Supermarket and H Mart about eight minutes south and north and Longo's about 12. Yonge is lined with cafés and restaurants, from Aroma Espresso Bar and Ten Ren's Tea to Kinton Ramen and Daldongnae Korean BBQ, and the Douglas Snow Aquatic Centre and the Meridian Arts Centre are a few minutes away.North York Centre Station on Line 1 is about three minutes on foot. From there the subway reaches Sheppard-Yonge, for Line 4, in about a minute, Eglinton in about 11, Bloor-Yonge in about 19 and Union Station in about 27. The trade-offs are a long ride downtown, busy main roads, and a rental supply made up mostly of condos let by individual owners.

Best suited for

  • Renters who want the subway close
  • People who work in North York
  • Cooks who want big grocers nearby
  • Families who want a condo near schools
  • –Renters who want to walk downtown
  • –Fans of older character buildings

Quick facts

  • Population52,800
  • Renter households40%
  • Homes in towers of 5+ storeys67%
  • Immigrant residents60%

Getting around

Line 1 under Yonge at North York Centre, Line 4 one stop south at Sheppard-Yonge, and buses along Yonge and Sheppard.

80/100

WalkabilityGroceries, cafés and the library along Yonge

85/100

Transit accessLine 1 at the corner, Line 4 one stop south

50/100

CyclingQuiet side streets, but busy main roads
North York Centre Station, Line 13 min walk
Eglinton, from North York Centre11 min by subway
Union Station, from North York Centre27 min by subway
Sheppard-Yonge, from North York Centre1 min by subway
Bloor-Yonge, from North York Centre19 min by subway
Mel Lastman Square3 min walk
Line 1 Yonge-University
Line 4 Sheppard
84 Sheppard West
185 Sheppard Central
98 Willowdale-Senlac
97 Yonge

Willowdale on the map

The places listed further down the page, around Yonge Street and Park Home Avenue.

Schools and childcare

Claude Watson School for the Arts is about eight minutes from Yonge and Park Home, McKee Public School and Earl Haig Secondary School are about nine, and Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts, a Catholic school, is about ten. Which school serves an address is set by the board, so check the TDSB and TCDSB school locators. Walk times are measured from Yonge Street and Park Home Avenue.
SchoolTypeWalk time
Claude Watson School for the Arts
Public · Arts school8 min
McKee Public School
Public · Elementary9 min
Earl Haig Secondary School
Public · Secondary9 min
Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts
Catholic · Arts school10 min
St. Cyril Catholic School
Catholic · Elementary14 min

Around the neighbourhood

Walk times from Yonge Street and Park Home Avenue. Mel Lastman Square and the central library are about three minutes away.

Groceries

  • T&T Supermarket1 min
  • Galleria Supermarket8 min
  • H Mart8 min
  • Longo's12 min

Coffee and bakeries

  • Aroma Espresso Bar1 min
  • Ten Ren's Tea1 min
  • Lucullus3 min
  • Bake Code9 min

Food and drink

  • Kinton Ramen1 min
  • Pho 882 min
  • Daldongnae Korean BBQ3 min
  • The Keg5 min

Parks

  • Mel Lastman Square3 min
  • Willowdale Park3 min
  • Lee Lifeson Art Park5 min
  • Dempsey Park6 min

Fitness

  • Fit4Less1 min
  • F45 Training2 min
  • Douglas Snow Aquatic Centre5 min
  • Mitchell Field Community Centre11 min

Everyday services

  • Cineplex Cinemas Empress Walk1 min
  • Shoppers Drug Mart2 min
  • TPL: North York Central Library3 min
  • Meridian Arts Centre6 min

Rent with confidence in Willowdale

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.
Most rentals on this stretch of Yonge are condos let by individual owners, and fake condo listings copied from real ones are a common Toronto scam. 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

Willowdale rental questions

Is Willowdale expensive compared with the rest of Toronto?

Yes, a little. In the 2021 census the median tenant household paid $1,960 a month for rent and utilities in the City's Yonge-Doris neighbourhood, $1,800 in Willowdale West and $2,000 in East Willowdale, against $1,500 across Toronto. A condo listed today asks more than those medians. CMHC's citywide average for an occupied purpose built apartment was $1,916 in October 2025.

How long does it take to get downtown from Willowdale?

From North York Centre Station, Line 1 reaches Bloor-Yonge in about 19 minutes and Union Station in about 27, without changing trains. Sheppard-Yonge, one stop south, is where Line 4 runs east along Sheppard.

Is Willowdale the same as North York?

Willowdale is one part of North York, which is now part of the City of Toronto. The towers around North York Centre and Mel Lastman Square are its busiest stretch, and away from Yonge the streets are mostly houses.

Is Willowdale a good area for families?

McKee Public School and Earl Haig Secondary School are about nine minutes from Yonge and Park Home, St. Cyril Catholic School is about 14, and the Douglas Snow Aquatic Centre is about five. Family sized rentals are easier to find in the houses on the side streets than in the towers on Yonge.

Are Willowdale condos covered by rent control?

It depends on when the unit was first lived in. Units first occupied after November 15, 2018 are exempt from the provincial guideline, so the owner can raise the rent by any amount with 90 days of written notice. Most of the towers on Yonge opened before that date, but some newer ones did not, so ask before you sign.

Can I find pet-friendly rentals in Willowdale?

Often, yes. In Ontario a "no pets" clause in a lease is void, and a landlord cannot charge a pet deposit. A condo building can still restrict pets in its own rules, and those apply to tenants too, so ask for the building rules before you sign.

Is parking included with Willowdale rentals?

Sometimes. Some condo units come with a space and many do not, and where one exists it may be rented separately for a monthly fee. Ask whether the listing includes parking before you book a viewing.
Ready to look? Browse Willowdale rentals2 beds from $2,500 to 3 beds from $3,500
Check availability

Nearby neighbourhood guides

Nearby cities

Search Willowdale rentals

More Toronto reading

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 Yonge-Doris, Willowdale West and East Willowdale neighbourhoods. 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.