Gerrard Residences — Local services in Toronto

DO NOT BELIEVE THE 4.6 STAR RATING - RUN!!!

Please take a few moments to read this review before choosing this building.

Our process started back in 2022. My partner and I were away from Canada and needed a 1 bedroom apartment Downtown; we all know the market was (and still is) super rough in Toronto, so we decided to go with a rental. Since our first contact with Jessica, we loved her! She is super nice, super responsive and, after living there for 2 years, I can say she’s the only part of management we are grateful for. The application process was super easy, we were approved the same day and had everything signed the same week. But as soon as we arrived to the unit, the nightmare began.

First of all, the “renovated” units are a lie. They put a thick layer of paint over everything, create the cheapest kitchen with newer appliances possible and call it a day. There are bugs EVERYWHERE, we had to have the apartment treated for roaches at least twice that I can recall but the issue is obviously in the entire building, so it barely makes a difference. Kitchen faucet broken, leaks, cheap materials everywhere, closet doors that barely work, an AC unit that you can’t turn on on “cold” if it’s under 19°C outside (even though it is hot as hell inside the unit), doorknobs falling apart… We accidentally broke the closet door, put in a maintenance request, it was only fixed the day we were leaving. We made ourselves available to pay for it and reiterated that we were waiting to get the invoice even after we left, but never got anything. Every single common area and hallway is nasty, seems like it was never cleaned. We’ve seen crackheads entering the building and sleeping on hallways, security has zero instruction of what they are supposed to do and are almost never there. Even though the area isn’t that unsafe, the building is a meeting spot for homeless people (outside and inside). A few days before we moved out, there was even a huge fire caused by a homeless person on the trash area of the building. Again, security is almost never present and, most of the times, during their shifts, they just keep going back to their apartment as they all live there.

Fire alarm is always going off and security doesn’t know how to turn it off. Everything around the building breaks, to the point where they shut down water for the 34 FLOORS and didn’t let anyone know, we were begging for updates and help and noted that several tenants called 311 to report the situation - half the building didn’t have water for over 24h and we were only let know of what was happening at the end of the first day.

The other manager (who I will not name because retaliation is VERY real in that building) is one of the worst managers we have ever met. She lives in the building and does not perform a single function a manger should. We were treated in a rude, condescending, and arrogant manner by her since day one. She will act nice in front of Jessica and other people to make it seem like you’re the crazy one for being frustrated, but will completely flip when no one is around. The building clearly reflects her attitude and lack of knowledge on how to manage a property that size. We paid almost $2500 a month for, again, a HORRIBLE apartment, DIRTY AND UNSAFE building, and CLUELESS management.

These are just a few things from our experience that I wanted to bring to potential tenant’s attention. PLEASE do not fall into the trap like we did. It seems like an easy deal but you...

Like any other place, this building has its pros and cons.

Pros - Location -Bang in the middle of downtown. Accessibility is top notch and you can walk to any place. Price - Cheaper than most other places.

Staff - The building staff work hard including the manager Crystal . Special shoutout to Jessica who was helpful from Day 1. She was a big reason why we moved here and was exemplary in her service.

A/C - The units have individual air conditioning.

View - The higher floor units have an amazing view.

Cons - Maintenance - The building is showing its age, from the carpets to the lobby.

Cleanliness- There aren’t enough people to take care of this huge building. They need more staff so that cleaning can happen more frequently.

Security - it’s unbelievable that there is just a single international student in name of security. It goes as well as you would imagine. When that person goes on their rounds, there is no one at the front desk to stop homeless people and addicts from entering the building. I don’t think it would be too much to ask to have someone at the lobby at all times.

Parking- There’s expensive public parking in the building but no security. Cars get broken into regularly, addicts have died in there, but the company managing the place (Impark) have absolutely no interest in doing anything other than charging you...

I have been renting an apartment at 40 Gerrard East for 7 years and want to share my thoughts about the apartment in general and the amenities that accompany the building. First off my rental agreement was facilitated by Jessica, a wonderful first point of contact for the building and always provides exceptional help and friendly mint services.She definitely gets a special mention. Crystal the general manager has always been very nice to me and as far as I can remember she accommodated any requests that I have submitted. I can only imagine the difficult situations she must have to deal with on a daily basis. Rock on office team you guys are really doing a good job! The building itself is quite old and could use some upgrades. But honestly speaking it’s great and the prices are extremely attractive. Parking is ample and cheap and the amenities are kinda nice . I know it’s definitely a challenge in regards problems that may arise with older buildings In the city’s down town core such as bed bugs, bad neighbors, dirty common areas However if you weigh out the good and the bad and keep to your own , respect your unit you can honestly find a great living situation. Thank you for your attention 40 Gerrard and also for the opportunity to live in the most centrally located apartment...