u/Cauezinsilva

I was looking at a studio apartment today and honestly left feeling pretty frustrated.
The unit was tiny basically enough space to fit a bed and not much else but the leasing agent explained their qualification formula as:
(monthly rent × 12) × 4
So apparently you need to make 4x the annual rent to qualify.
What shocked me is that I make $23/hour and usually work 40–44 hours a week, which is already above average for a lot of people, and by their logic I still might not qualify. How are regular working people supposed to rent anything at this point?
I understand landlords/buildings wanting tenants who can pay reliably, but these requirements are starting to feel completely disconnected from reality, especially considering the size and quality of some of these units.
For people already renting in Ontario/Toronto area:
Is this income requirement normal now?
Were you able to negotiate anything?
If I do eventually qualify for a place, what are the best affordable stores to furnish a first studio apartment? (bed, desk, couch, kitchen basics, etc.)

I was looking at a studio apartment today and honestly left feeling pretty frustrated.
The unit was tiny basically enough space to fit a bed and not much else but the leasing agent explained their qualification formula as:
(monthly rent × 12) × 4
So apparently you need to make 4x the annual rent to qualify.
What shocked me is that I make $23/hour and usually work 40–44 hours a week, which is already above average for a lot of people, and by their logic I still might not qualify. How are regular working people supposed to rent anything at this point?
I understand landlords/buildings wanting tenants who can pay reliably, but these requirements are starting to feel completely disconnected from reality, especially considering the size and quality of some of these units.
For people already renting in Ontario/Toronto area:
Is this income requirement normal now?
Were you able to negotiate anything?
If I do eventually qualify for a place, what are the best affordable stores to furnish a first studio apartment? (bed, desk, couch, kitchen basics, etc.)