[BuildTO]

I lived in a basement apartment in Rosedale about 5-10 years ago for $400/month, but it was unadvertised (my coworker was moving out and was a distant relative of the landlord). Even then, $400 a month was unheard of for a self-contained apartment. The landlord also rented out single rooms (shared kitchen and bathroom) on the top floor at a similar rate.

The point is - it's next to impossible to find an apartment for that little money, even in the suburbs. The best you will get is probably a bedroom.

Good luck!

 

[urbandreamer]

I know of a place in High Park/Junction--self contained basement apt (long and narrow space but quite large) for $200/month. The only catch: landlady is elderly, might be selling the house soon and thus is hesitant to rent it out. Knowledge of Russian or Ukrainian could certainly help. I almost got the place for myself but decided that basement living wasn't for me.

There's a room in a basement (share with 2 others) near BLO (bloor and ossington) for $275. Plenty of bargains if you know where to look.

 

[Urban Shocker]

When I was at art school ( 1974! ) half a dozen of us rented a space above 816 College Street and subdivided it into a shantytown of roomlets - with party space/lounge included. We got the rent down to about $35 a month each at one point, depending on how many we crowded in there. No doubt similar arrangements can still be found here and there around town if you check with the latest crop of OCAD students.