Leslieville Property Management

Leslieville occupies a stretch of Toronto’s east end centred on Queen Street East between Carlaw Avenue and Coxwell Avenue, bounded roughly by the rail corridor to the south and Gerrard Street to the north. The neighbourhood contains converted factory lofts, low-rise and mid-rise condominiums, and Victorian-era residential streets that together create a housing stock distinct from the tower-dominated downtown core. Successful Leslieville property management needs to take all that into consideration when working on rental and management on behalf of investors.

The neighbourhood falls under TRREB district E01 (Toronto E01) in the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board’s MLS system. Buttonwood Property Management, a Toronto property management company, has managed investment properties in Leslieville since 2011. Every tenancy we manage in the neighbourhood is subject to:

• Ontario Residential Tenancies Act

• Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO)

• Ontario Human Rights Tribunal

• Ontario Building Code

• Ontario Fire Code

• Vacant Home Tax (City of Toronto)

• CRA’s Non-resident Tax Withholding on Rental Income (NR4/NR6)

History of Leslieville

The neighbourhood takes its name from George Leslie, a nurseryman who established the Toronto Nurseries on the site in 1845. His greenhouses and fields produced flowers, ornamental shrubs, and trees, and most early residents worked either in the nurseries or at the brick-making factories that operated along the Don River. The clay deposits in the area made Leslieville a natural centre for brick production, and the red-brick buildings that line the neighbourhood today are a direct inheritance of that industry.

In 1906, the City of Toronto seized substantial land on Carlaw Avenue over unpaid taxes and sold it for industrial use. Proximity to the Port Lands and the Grand Trunk Railway made the location attractive to manufacturers. By mid-century, Carlaw Avenue was a major production hub, with factories producing Wrigley’s chewing gum, Woods jackets, and Colgate toothpaste.

The film industry also took root in Leslieville. Toronto Film Studios, a 200,000-square-foot facility converted from an existing warehouse, has operated at its current site since the late 1990s. Cinespace Film Studios, founded in 1988, built over one million square feet of filming space across Leslieville and Etobicoke. These studios remain active today.

Residential gentrification began accelerating in the 2000s. In 2005, the New York Times called Queen Street East “the new Queen West.” Factory closures had reduced air pollution, and the area’s red-brick industrial buildings were being converted into specialty shops, studios, cafes, and condominiums. Queen Street East became the neighbourhood’s main street, and the population shifted from industrial workers to the young families and creative-sector professionals who define Leslieville today.

Residential Buildings in Leslieville

Leslieville’s residential inventory is defined by low-rise and mid-rise construction rather than the high-rise towers found in the downtown core. Converted factory lofts sit alongside purpose-built boutique condominiums along the Queen Street East corridor.

• Edge Lofts (625 Queen Street East). A 6-storey building containing 66 condo units, developed by Streetcar Developments. Completed in 2009 with polished concrete floors, ten-foot ceilings, and units ranging from 600 to 1,800 square feet.

• 875 Queen East Lofts (875 Queen Street East). A 7-storey loft-inspired building containing 118 condo units, developed by Harhay Developments. Units range from 697 to 1,365 square feet.

• The Grove Condos (1001 Queen Street East). A 6-storey building containing 28 condo units at the corner of Queen and Pape, developed by Presidential Group. Completed around 2023 with a contemporary loft-style design set against the industrial heritage of the surrounding streetscape.

• Post Lofts Leslieville (1249 Queen Street East). A 6-storey building containing 29 condo units, developed by Condoman Developments. Completed in 2020 with reclaimed brick walls, exposed post-and-beam construction, and nine-and-a-half-foot ceilings.

• Riverside Lofts (747 Queen Street East). A 4-storey boutique building containing 12 condo units, developed by Streetcar Developments. Completed in 2007 with soft loft finishes and ten-foot ceilings. Units range from 700 to 1,000 square feet.

Buildings Under Construction

Leslieville’s development pipeline is smaller in scale than downtown Toronto’s, consistent with the neighbourhood’s low-rise character and established residential fabric.

• George Condos and Towns (1327 Queen Street East, Toronto, ON M4L 1C6). An 8-storey development by The Rockport Group containing 80 condo units and 8 townhomes. Designed by RAW Design with a 6-storey massing on Queen Street and two stepped-back upper storeys. Named after George Leslie, the neighbourhood’s founder. Pre-construction.

• 1134 Queen Street East (1134 Queen Street East, Toronto, ON M4M 1L1). A 6-to-7-storey development by Lamb Development Corp containing approximately 30 condo units at the intersection of Pape and Queen. Designed by A&A Architects. Pre-construction.

New construction in Leslieville is built to fit the neighbourhood’s existing scale. For landlords acquiring pre-construction units as investments, the management partner they select before occupancy will shape the first year of tenancy.

Market Prices: Renting and Buying in Leslieville

What does it cost to rent or own in Leslieville? MLS activity tracked through TRREB district E01 provides a clear picture for investors evaluating yield against acquisition cost.

Rental prices. The average monthly rent for a condo unit in Leslieville ranges from $2,350 to $2,450 for a one-bedroom and $3,050 to $3,500 for a two-bedroom. Leslieville commands a premium over the Toronto-wide average, driven by its walkability, its main-street retail corridor, and a family-friendly reputation that attracts tenants who stay longer. Loft conversions with larger floor plans and heritage features tend to command the upper end of the range.

Sale prices. The average sale price for a Leslieville condo unit sits at approximately $849,000 in early 2026, with a price per square foot around $850. That is above the Toronto-wide average of approximately $627,000, reflecting the neighbourhood’s desirability and the larger-than-average unit sizes in its loft inventory. For investors, the limited new supply pipeline in Leslieville means less competition from new construction than in downtown Toronto, which helps sustain both rental demand and resale value.

Current Listings Managed by Buttonwood

Buttonwood manages rental properties across Leslieville’s residential buildings, from converted factory lofts at Edge Lofts and Post Lofts to boutique condo units at The Grove and 875 Queen East. Current availability changes throughout the year; visit the Buttonwood listings page for up-to-date inventory.

How Tenants Commute from Leslieville

Walk Score data rates Leslieville at 97 out of 100 for walkability (Walker’s Paradise), 89 out of 100 for transit (Excellent Transit), and 88 out of 100 for cycling (Very Bikeable).

Public transit. The Queen Street streetcar (route 501) is the primary east-west transit line, running through the centre of the neighbourhood along Queen Street East. Route 503 (Kingston Road) provides additional streetcar service along the eastern portion of the corridor. The 72 Pape bus offers north-south service connecting to Pape Station on Line 2 (Bloor-Danforth), approximately 1.2 kilometres north of Queen Street. Chester Station on Line 2 is also accessible from the western end of the neighbourhood.

Cycling. Leslieville’s flat terrain, dedicated cycling lanes on surrounding roads, and proximity to the Martin Goodman Trail along the waterfront contribute to the neighbourhood’s strong cycling score.

Driving. The Don Valley Parkway is accessible from the western edge of the neighbourhood, and Lake Shore Boulevard runs along the southern boundary for east-west commuting.

Schools in Leslieville

Families renting in Leslieville have access to TDSB schools within the neighbourhood and its immediately surrounding blocks.

Duke of Connaught Junior and Senior Public School (70 Woodfield Road, JK-8) serves the eastern portion of Leslieville and offers both English and French Immersion tracks.

Leslieville Junior Public School (254 Leslie Street, JK-6) sits directly on Leslie Street inside the neighbourhood and is one of the area’s established community schools.

Riverdale Collegiate Institute (1094 Gerrard Street East, Grades 9-12) is a secondary school established in 1907, located north of the neighbourhood on Gerrard Street with approximately 1,600 students.

Michael Garron Hospital (Toronto East Health Network, 825 Coxwell Avenue), the closest major hospital to Leslieville, is located approximately 1.5 kilometres north of Queen and Coxwell.

How Buttonwood Manages Leslieville Properties

Leslieville’s building stock requires a management approach suited to smaller-scale, loft-style construction. Boutique buildings with 12 to 120 condo units have smaller condo boards, fewer reserve funds, and maintenance profiles that differ from downtown high-rises. Buttonwood has managed these building types across the GTA since 2011, and across thousands of tenancies in that period has recorded six evictions total for non-payment of rent. That figure reflects the precision of our screening, not favourable conditions.

Once a qualified tenant is placed, management covers rent collection, maintenance coordination, lease renewal tracking, and annual rent increase notices issued under the Ontario Residential Tenancies Act. Property owners based outside Canada benefit from our non-resident tax compliance services, including CRA withholding obligations and NR4/NR6 reporting on rental income.

Leslieville tenants are a mix of young families and professionals who choose the neighbourhood for its main-street character, proximity to the waterfront, and lower density compared to the downtown core. Our placement process is designed to understand what Leslieville’s rental market requires and match properties with qualified tenants accordingly.

Working with Leslieville Landlords

Landlords who own a condo unit in Leslieville, whether a converted loft at Edge Lofts, a condo unit at 875 Queen East, or a recently completed suite at The Grove, are managing an asset in one of Toronto’s most sought-after east-end neighbourhoods. The management partner they choose should reflect that.

Buttonwood delivers a value proposition that is affordable, carries the best reputation within the industry, and applies an uncommon level of expertise and ethical standard that both landlords and tenants deserve. More than 70% of our business comes through referrals.

• #1 Individual Associate – Units KW Canada 2025 – Top 5 Individuals (Keller Williams Portfolio Realty)
• Platinum Award 2024 (iPro Realty Ltd.)
• Platinum Award 2023 (iPro Realty Ltd.)
• Platinum Award 2022 (iPro Realty Ltd.)
• President’s Award 2021 (iPro Realty Ltd.)
• Platinum Award 2020 (iPro Realty Ltd.)
• President’s Award 2019 (iPro Realty Ltd.)
• Executive’s Club Award 2017 (Kingsway Real Estate Brokerage)
• 100 Percent Club Award 2016 (Kingsway Real Estate Brokerage)

Those are not marketing claims; they are measurable results over 14 plus years of rental and management services in The Greater Toronto Area.

A Neighbourhood That Rewards Careful Management

The cafes, boutiques, and craft breweries along Queen Street East, the weekend farmers’ market, the film studios on Carlaw Avenue, and the neighbourhood’s reputation as one of Toronto’s most family-friendly communities all draw tenants who stay. Leslieville’s appeal is rooted in its main-street character and east-end identity, not in speculative growth.

The neighbourhood’s limited development pipeline means rental inventory is expanding slowly compared to the downtown core. That scarcity supports both rental rates and occupancy for well-managed properties. Buttonwood has spent 15 years developing the processes that keep vacancy low and tenancy outcomes predictable across the GTA.

Our east-end portfolio extends beyond Leslieville. We manage investment properties in Riverdale to the west, The Beaches to the east, Upper Beaches to the northeast, and the Danforth to the north.

Contact Buttonwood to discuss management of your Leslieville investment property. Whether you own a converted factory loft or a condo unit in one of the neighbourhood’s boutique buildings, we can provide a direct assessment of what your property requires.