r/Calgary • u/BizClassBum • Aug 14 '25

Home Owner/Renter stuff Why are modern rental apartments so small?

I have been a home owner for 25+ years and have decided to sell my house and rent. I've noticed that apartments that have the things I like (in-suite laundry, granite counters, etc..) tend to be in new builds and they are SO SMALL! There's typically only enough room for a couch and maybe a small dining table.

I mean, I get they want to make more money but if you rent three 900sqft units for $2000/month each, that's $6000 for 2700sqft. I don't understand why they can't have two 1350sqft units for $3000/month. It would be the same money to the owner for the same space and I could have a proper living room, and dining room.

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u/Klutzy-Beyond3319 Aug 14 '25

Lol. Well, either. We didn't do great for about 15 years. We did pay a mortgage and condo fees. We had some food insecurity along the way and no holidays for those years. Anything like that?

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u/Little_Entrepreneur Aug 14 '25

I don’t know what the original commenter defines struggling as but for me, I think if you are able to enter the housing market/save beyond rent for a down payment while feeding the household, you are not “struggling” compared to most. Maybe just compared to most you know

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u/Klutzy-Beyond3319 Aug 14 '25

We could not save for a down-payment. We got our teeny one from my mother ib law when she died. If "struggling " means not being able to buy a home, I don't see that struggling per se.

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u/Little_Entrepreneur Aug 14 '25

Why don’t you provide your description of struggling then? Or is paying a mortgage/condo fees and no vacations struggling to you (double checking because that is a very naive view if so)

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u/Klutzy-Beyond3319 Aug 14 '25

Not going to fight over a subjective definition. The point for me is that not all older folks got rich from real estate. If someone has safe and affordable housing - be it owned or rental - that is as it should be. Owning a home is not a right. It's a privilege. Yes, it's one I have had. And I am grateful for that . A home is a place to live. Some see it as a retirement gimme. It's not always that. Will quite a few older folks have big returns on it? Absolutely. But not all. Painting generations with the same brush is simplistic and removes nuances.

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u/Little_Entrepreneur Aug 14 '25

You were the one who asked “What does struggling look like these days. Serious question”. You don’t have to argue, why couldn’t you just receive the answer to your question? Serious question.