Galyna Durysvt spent months searching for an apartment to rent in the Greater Toronto Area after fleeing the war in Ukraine. She was reviewing potential rentals and submitting applications but continued searching when some landlords requested rent up to six months in advance – a practice prohibited under provincial rules. Durysvt, 45, said in an interview: "I felt frustrated, they asked me about rent, for example for six months ... you understand, I came without money."

Durysvt, who arrived in Canada with her 15-year-old son last March, also added that she felt her lack of credit history and the fact that she had only recently started her job played a role in the challenges she faced, continuing: "I just apply and no one chooses me, I am not looking for free ... I will pay."

Durysvt is not alone, as resettlement organizations say a number of new Ukrainian arrivals in Ontario are unable to find apartments because some landlords demand rent ranging from six months to a year, a practice prohibited under the Residential Tenancies Act.

Also, Nadia Gryliuk, executive director of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, said that newcomers are at risk because they are looking for apartments without a credit history and are often unemployed upon arrival, adding: "Without these two things, what we get into is the issue of landlords engaging in highly questionable practices. Even when it comes to a year upfront, they are still hard to satisfy."

New Ukrainian arrivals have been coming under a special federal program that allows them to work or study in Canada for three years. Also, human rights advocates say some who cannot find apartments during the two-week hotel stay provided upon arrival have to find temporary housing and sometimes end up in shelters. Gryliuk said a few have also returned to Ukraine.

Afat Qasemi, executive director of the Newcomers’ Centre in Peel, said that for some newcomers, putting down a deposit even for one month's rent is difficult, stating that new regulations should be proposed to punish landlords who treat newcomers unfairly.

In the same context, Matt Carter, spokesperson for Ontario’s Ministry of Housing, said that landlords cannot demand tenants pay deposits exceeding one month in advance under the Residential Tenancies Act, and that tenants who paid more than one month upfront can file a complaint with the Landlord and Tenant Board.

Meanwhile, Remi Laferrière, spokesperson for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, said the federal government is doing everything it can to enable newcomers to succeed, including providing over $500 million in the 2022 budget to help communities face the housing challenges newcomers encounter.

More than 112,000 Ukrainians arrived in Canada by land and air between January 1 and October 30, according to the federal government. Canada also received over 660,000 applications for temporary residence from Ukrainians between March 17 and October 30, and approved over 360,000 of them, the government said.

Additionally, the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board said last month that the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment rose more than 20 percent to $2,481 between the third quarter of this year and the same period last year. It said the average rent for a two-bedroom apartment was $3,184, an increase of 14.5 percent over the same price.