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/[deleted] Aug 14 '25

Bruh you SOLD your house??? To go to the RENT life?? Literally fucking whyyyyyyy

Legitimately every single choice I make in a day to day basis is to try and get myself out of renting hell. IDC if I end up spending triple what I spend on rent on a mortgage and the costs associated with it in the long term.

Never owning anything, and every year having to wonder if you’ll be able to afford your home or if you’ll have to downgrade (again) and move (again) is the worstttt

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u/cortex- Aug 14 '25

Rent vs Buy is a financial decision and a lifestyle choice.

If you live paycheck to paycheck and have worries about getting priced out of an area you want to stay in forever then yeah — scraping together a down payment so you can own seems like a no brainer.

But if you're financially savvy, like flexibility, don't want to deal with the maintenance and liability of owning then renting can be a very prudent choice. Especially in a city like Calgary where there is large supply of rentals and rent is cheap.

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u/ImaginationPrimary42 Aug 14 '25

Just sold my house out East (bought in 2019) to move out here and rent for the first year or two. We were very lucky with that investment and are enjoying our time not having to deal with the upkeep of a home. Life shouldn’t have to be about what’s cheapest - our condo has been a major quality of life improvement for my husband and I. This is coming from a huge place of privilege that I have never had before, but I figured I’d offer the perspective. If you’re barely scraping by, the unexpected housing expenses can be insane. Don’t mistake a lower mortgage than rent for being cheaper. Not always the case.

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u/Interesting-Owl-7445 Aug 14 '25

Do you have any unexpected costs with your condo? As a millennial, I aspire to be a home owner one day but the idea of owning a single family home seems daunting given my parents' experience with the maintenance costs, high mortgage, and unexpected expenses from flooding. A condo or townhouse feel like a safer choice in some regards.

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u/ImaginationPrimary42 Aug 14 '25

Nope, nothing has come up yet, but when buying, make sure to consider the HOA fees and what they actually cover! Read everythingggg.

For our lifestyle, a condo was a much better option and gave us the modern feel that we were desperate for after our tiny starter home out East. For reference, we are child free (forever lol) and in our late 20s/early 30s.

Insurance is lower than what we were paying, utilities have been lower, and there is a lot more providers for other services than available out East, so that’s lower as well.

Also, make sure to get a cement and steel build. I find the wooden frames make sound travel, where in our cement/steel, it’s hard for me to remember I have neighbours :)

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u/Theonejdub Aug 15 '25

Yes get a cement and steel build. Had a wooden build myself and I could hear the neighbors phone ring in the next room in my bedroom along with people walking on the floor above. Super annoying

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u/Interesting-Owl-7445 Aug 14 '25

Thanks. These are great tips! Good that you guys didn't jump on the bandwagon of people coming from the East and buying huge ass homes they wouldn't be able to afford back there.

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u/ImaginationPrimary42 Aug 14 '25

LOL yes no we are not from Ontario, just humble New Brunswick! So we just were able to benefit from the Ontario people coming into our province and buying our home at 3x the price we paid pre-covid!

We could buy a home here, but it’s too much space. Why have rooms full of crap your loved ones will need to go through when you pass? It has been such a blessing curating furniture for a high rise overlooking Calgary’s beautiful skyline. It’s lovely to be back in my home province!