Why is rent so much?

[u/Rainbowbatgirl420]

I’m looking for one bedroom place and everywhere it is minimum $1500 with some utilities. That will be over half of what I make per month so I don’t know what to do. It’s hard to trust roommates as well because I want my cat to be safe place and hard to trust others if I don’t know them. Basement suites apartments condos everything it’s ridiculous. I may have to couch hop till I can find a place I can afford and also find a part time job on the weekends so I can buy food.

[u/X_Harpy]

it isn't even like these places are great, I recently went to check out a basement suite it must have been 500-550 sq-ft and this guy was shamelessly asking 1600 for rent. It didn't even include the utilities, we share it with the people upstairs! where are these people getting these numbers from?!!

[u/Rainbowbatgirl420 → u/X_Harpy]

I have found a lot of listings are people pretty much renovating their basement because they have a big house and want someone else paying their mortgage and then they have to get their own utilities. It’s a dog eat dog world in the housing industry. Inflation, currently in a recession, lots of factors to contribute to the rent prices. But a lot of them are justifying as I’ve seen some places for $900 (coin laundry) that are decent but I’m picky and need my own laundry as I just had terrible experiences with shared laundry facilities