The Kensington Market blocks grew out of a 19th-century estate that was subdivided and sold to successive waves of immigrants, starting with Eastern European families, which is the root of the area's enduring mix of independent shops, vintage stores and street-level diversity. Chinatown's current concentration along Spadina Avenue developed after the city's original downtown Chinatown was displaced by the construction of Nathan Phillips Square and City Hall in the 1950s and 60s. If you are looking to rent a 1 bedroom condo in the Kensington Market-Chinatown, this page gathers the live MLS® listings and what to know before you start. 1 bedroom suites are the entry point into condo living, and the map and filters below show exactly what is available right now.
1 Bedroom suites in the area
Condo development sits mainly along the Spadina Avenue and College Street edges of the neighbourhood, while the low-rise Kensington Market core is protected as a Heritage Conservation District.
A one-bedroom gives you a separate room to sleep in and a real living area, the comfortable baseline for renting here on your own or as a couple. You will also see one-bedroom-plus-den units, where the den works as a home office or dressing room — useful in a neighbourhood with so many people working at or studying near the university. Compare the den layouts carefully: an enclosed den with a window is far more usable than an open nook, and it can be worth a small premium in rent.
What's included, and what to check
Condo rentals vary in what they include, so confirm the essentials before you commit: whether parking and a locker come with the unit, which utilities are covered, and what the building's rules say about move-ins, guests and short-term subletting. Ask to see the unit's actual layout and storage, and check the building's amenities and management — in a condo you are renting into a managed building, not just a unit, and how well it is run shapes daily life.
About the Kensington Market-Chinatown
The Kensington Market blocks grew out of a 19th-century estate that was subdivided and sold to successive waves of immigrants, starting with Eastern European families, which is the root of the area's enduring mix of independent shops, vintage stores and street-level diversity. Chinatown's current concentration along Spadina Avenue developed after the city's original downtown Chinatown was displaced by the construction of Nathan Phillips Square and City Hall in the 1950s and 60s. Kensington Market-Chinatown sits just west of Toronto's downtown core: Chinatown is centred on Spadina Avenue between College Street and Dundas Street West, with the Kensington Market district immediately to its west, bordered by Bathurst Street. Kensington Market's produce stalls, restaurants and independent shops, plus Chinatown's markets and eateries along Spadina, keep daily errands within walking distance, with downtown a short streetcar ride away.
Location and transit
TTC streetcars run along the neighbourhood's edges, including the 505 Dundas, 506 Carlton, 510 Spadina and 511 Bathurst routes, with St. Patrick and Spadina subway stations on Line 1 a short walk away.
Beyond transit, the area puts you near Kensington Market, a designated Heritage Conservation District, Chinatown along Spadina Avenue, the Art Gallery of Ontario nearby and the University of Toronto's St. George campus, which is part of why condos here hold steady demand.
Your tenancy, briefly
Most condo tenancies in Ontario fall under the Residential Tenancies Act, which sets the ground rules for deposits, rent increases and ending a lease. A landlord can ask for first and last month's rent as a deposit, and leases commonly run for a one-year term before going month-to-month. Read the lease and any building rules attached to it, and budget for tenant insurance, which many condo corporations and landlords require.
Renting a 1 bedroom condo in the Kensington Market-Chinatown
Decide on your budget and must-haves first — bedrooms, parking, locker and which utilities you want included — then move quickly, because well-priced 1 bedroom condos in the Kensington Market-Chinatown lease fast. Have your application documents ready, read the lease and building rules before you sign, and confirm exactly what the rent covers. Use the live map and filters below to focus on the units that fit, and get in touch when you would like to arrange a viewing.
The live map below plots every active 1 bedroom condo for rent in the Kensington Market-Chinatown — set your filters, save the searches that fit, and reach out when a unit is worth a closer look.