Renter Preference Survey: Spring 2025 Update

As warmer weather approaches—often signalling the start of peak rental demand—Rentals.ca has completed its latest renter preference survey ahead of spring to gauge renter sentiment across Canada. This update expands on our previous fall update, capturing new trends and emerging themes throughout the country. Amid a looming federal election, along with external factors such as a potential trade war, it’s crucial to understand the needs and challenges faced by Canadians looking for an apartment.

Key Rental Market Challenges and Trends

Across all renter demographics, some common challenges emerge, emphasizing the broader struggles within Canada’s rental market.

• Affordability remains the number one concern, with 62% of renters struggling to find listings within their budget.
• Satisfaction with available listings is low, as only 27% of renters are satisfied with the properties they’ve seen so far.
• Demand for more rental supply is strong, with 76% of respondents agreeing or strongly agreeing that more housing needs to be built.
• Finding a place is widely seen as difficult, with 52% rating it as very difficult and only 4% saying it was easy.
• Interest rate perceptions are divided, with 45% of renters delaying home-buying plans due to high interest rates.
• There is a nearly even split on whether renters would recommend their current home, with 51% saying yes and 49% saying no.
• Recent moving trends show that renters are active in the market, with 8% having moved in the last few months, 25% within the past year, and 30% within the last 2-3 years.

New Renters: Quick Moves and Persistent Challenges

Renters entering the market for the first time are eager to secure a place quickly, with 79% looking to move within two months or less. However, despite this urgency, the process isn’t necessarily fast—56% have already been searching for at least a month, and 14% have been looking for more than six months. The challenges they face are significant: 72% report finding it difficult or very difficult to secure a rental, which mirrors the experience of seasoned renters.

When it comes to their search habits, 76% of new renters rely on rental websites to browse listings. Their living arrangements vary: 40% are single, divorced, or widowed, while 51% are in a relationship or married, and 14% are married with children. Despite their different life stages, 60% are looking to rent with a roommate or spouse.

Affordability remains a key concern, as 63% of new renters are seeking rentals priced at $1,500 or less per month. However, the supply of affordable housing seems to be falling short, with only 27% of new renters satisfied with the properties they have viewed so far. The consensus among them is clear—76% believe that more housing needs to be built to meet demand.

Who’s Renting and How They Search

• 76% of renters use rental websites as their primary search tool.
• Many renters are not searching alone—48% plan to live with a roommate or spouse.
• Relationship status varies, with 43% of renters being single, divorced, or widowed, and 51% in relationships or married.
• 19.2% of renters are first-time renters, while 80.8% have rented before.
• Price is the most important factor for 56% of renters, compared to 44% prioritizing location.

Rentals.ca is committed to supporting an equitable and informed rental market by understanding the needs of both renters and landlords. We remain dedicated to providing valuable data that promotes transparency and responsiveness within the Canadian rental market. Through active engagement and continuous monitoring of industry trends, we aim to facilitate informed decision-making and advocate for positive change for all stakeholders.

 

The findings in this survey are based on responses from 523 individuals. The margin of error for the total sample is ±4.3% at a 95% confidence level, meaning that if the survey were conducted multiple times, the results would fall within this range 95% of the time.