Key Takeaways
BC renters are budgeting the highest in the country
35% of BC renters province-wide are targeting $2,000 or more per month, rising to 48% among renters specifically looking in Vancouver — yet the city’s average asking rent of $2,715 still outpaces even those elevated budgets.
Alberta renters feel the most financial pressure despite the lowest rents
49% are moving specifically to find something more affordable, the highest rate of any market surveyed.
Toronto is the most optimistic major market for price relief
36% of GTA renters expect prices to decline in the next six months. Alberta is the most pessimistic, with nearly half of renters expecting prices to keep rising.
Ottawa is the only Ontario market with significant 3-bedroom demand
26% of Ottawa renters are looking for a 3-bedroom, more than double Toronto’s rate (9%), pointing to families entering the rental market.
Rent control awareness outside Ontario is alarmingly low
In BC, Manitoba, Quebec, and Atlantic Canada, roughly half of all renters are unsure whether rent control applies to their search.
In every single market surveyed, high rent prices are renters’ number one challenge
From 65% in London to 95% in Atlantic Canada.
Introduction
Canada doesn’t have just one rental market. Regional variations across the country reveal distinct challenges and opportunities for both prospective tenants and rental housing providers. Our Spring 2026 Renter Preference Survey of 1,194 Canadian renters found that high rent prices remain the dominant national concern, but beneath that headline lies a country of strikingly different rental realities. Budgets, price expectations, unit demand, and rent control awareness all vary widely depending on where you live.
This article breaks down those regional differences, including a closer look at how renter experiences vary across Ontario beyond just Toronto. For the full national findings, read our complete Spring 2026 report.
Methodology: Survey conducted via email between May 5 and June 14, 2026, among renters who used Rentals.ca to search for an apartment. Regional breakdowns reflect renters’ intended destination — the market they are actively searching in — rather than current city of residence. 1,194 completed responses received.
The Budget Divide: Where Renters Are Spending the Most (and Least)
Vancouver renters are budgeting the highest of any market nationally — 48% have a budget of $2,000 or more per month. Ottawa (38%) and Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge (36%) follow closely, reflecting the sustained pressure of government-sector demand and tech-sector growth respectively. Toronto/GTA comes in at 36%.
At the other end, Hamilton is the most budget-constrained market in Ontario — among Hamilton respondents surveyed, not one reported a budget above $2,000 per month, and 63% are looking under $1,500. Alberta (13% over $2,000) and Manitoba/Winnipeg (13%) are the most affordable-budget markets nationally. Quebec stands apart: 63% of Montreal-area renters are budgeting under $1,500, with more than half targeting $1,000–$1,499 — the tightest budget concentration of any major market in the survey.
Renters budgeting $2,000+/month, by market
% of respondents with a budget of $2,000 or more · Spring 2026 Renter Preference Survey
Vancouver
48%
Ottawa
38%
Kitchener–Waterloo–Cambridge
36%
Toronto / GTA
36%
Quebec / Montreal
16%
Manitoba / Winnipeg
13%
Alberta
13%
Hamilton
0%
Budget vs. Asking Rent: What Renters Want to Pay vs. What’s Being Asked
Stated budgets tell only part of the story. Compared against actual asking rents from Rentals.ca’s July 2026 National Rent Report, the gap between what renters can afford and what the market is charging becomes clear.
Toronto — Asking rents average $2,537 per month, even after 29 consecutive months of annual declines. Only 36% of Toronto-area respondents are budgeting $2,000 or more — meaning most active GTA renters are searching below the market average.
Vancouver/BC — At $2,715 in Vancouver and $2,347 provincially, BC’s asking rents outpace even the highest renter budgets in the survey. BC leads the country in share of $2,000+ budgeters — 35% provincially, rising to 48% among renters specifically targeting Vancouver — yet even that higher figure falls well short of what’s being listed.
Calgary — At $1,820, Calgary is the most affordable of Canada’s six largest markets — and the closest to budget alignment in this survey. Even so, with most Alberta respondents budgeting under $1,500, a gap remains.
Ottawa — 3-bedroom asking rents average $2,706, and the city’s overall average rose to $2,149 in June — the largest monthly gain of any major market. Ottawa renters are seeking larger units and reporting higher budgets, but asking rents are moving in the wrong direction.
Montreal — At $1,949, Montreal is among the most affordable major markets, with the smallest annual rent decline (-0.8%) of the top six cities. But most Montreal-area respondents are budgeting $1,000–$1,499 — still well below asking.
As the July 2026 National Rent Report notes, nearly three-quarters of Canadian renters are looking for something priced at $2,000 or less, below the national average of $2,033. That single number captures the affordability gap that renters — and housing providers — are navigating across the country.
Renter budget vs. average asking rent
Renter budget midpoint compared to average asking rent by market
Avg. asking rentRenter budget midpoint
$2,715
$1,750
Vancouver
$2,537
$1,750
Toronto
$2,149
$1,750
Ottawa
$1,949
$1,250
Montreal
$1,820
$1,250
Calgary
* Budget midpoint uses the midpoint of each respondent’s selected budget range. Asking rents from Rentals.ca July 2026 National Rent Report.
Do Renters Think Relief Is Coming? Price Expectations by Region
Toronto/GTA is the most optimistic major market for price relief — 36% of GTA renters expect prices to decline in the next six months. At the other end, Alberta is the most pessimistic, with nearly half of renters there expecting prices to keep rising. London, Ontario leads all individual cities at 40% expecting a moderate decline.
Ottawa renters are the most cautious in the province. Forty-four percent expect prices to rise further, and only 12% expect any decline — consistent with a market that saw the largest monthly rent increase of any major city in June.
Alberta is the most pessimistic market nationally: 48% of renters expect prices to keep rising, despite already having the lowest rents in the country. Population growth in Calgary and Edmonton is clearly being felt. Winnipeg (46% expecting a moderate increase) and Atlantic Canada (57% expecting some form of increase) round out the most bearish markets in the survey.
Do renters expect prices to rise or fall?
Price expectations over the next 6 months · by region
Large increaseModerate increaseAbout the sameModerate declineLarge decline
Alberta
17%
31%
29%
16%
Manitoba / Winnipeg
10%
46%
27%
15%
Atlantic Canada
21%
36%
21%
14%
Quebec / Montreal
33%
33%
20%
BC / Vancouver
29%
35%
22%
Ontario (other)
25%
33%
27%
Toronto / GTA
25%
33%
28%
London
20%
30%
40%
What Are Renters Looking For? Unit Demand Tells a Regional Story
Toronto/GTA is the most studio-and-1-bedroom-dominant market in the country — 49% want a 1-bedroom, another 14% a studio, and just 9% are looking for a 3-bedroom. Ottawa has the highest 3-bedroom demand of any Ontario market: 26% of Ottawa renters are looking for a 3-bedroom, more than double Toronto’s rate (9%), pointing to families entering the rental market. Alberta has the highest 3-bedroom demand of any market at 21% — double Toronto’s rate — a reflection of its relatively lower costs enabling larger households to search for more space. Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge and Hamilton both skew heavily toward 1-bedrooms (44% and 47% respectively).
What unit type are renters looking for?
% selecting each unit type · by market
Studio/bachelor1-bedroom2-bedroom3-bedroomOther
Toronto / GTA
14%
49%
25%
9%
BC / Vancouver
8%
40%
35%
12%
KWC
44%
17%
22%
13%
Hamilton
47%
35%
Ottawa
26%
38%
26%
Quebec / Montreal
9%
36%
38%
11%
Manitoba / Winnipeg
35%
43%
15%
Alberta
33%
39%
21%
Ontario in Focus: A Province of Different Rental Realities
Ontario shows more internal variation than any other province in this survey — ranging from some of Canada’s priciest rental corridors to one of its most budget-constrained cities, all within a few hours’ drive of each other.
Ottawa
High budgets, high price pessimism, and strong 3-bedroom demand. Ottawa has the highest “unsure” rate on rent control of any Ontario city (41%). A market under sustained pressure with little expectation of relief.
Kitchener–Waterloo–Cambridge
High budgets (36% over $2,000), strong affordability pressure as a move driver (41%), and the most evenly split price expectations in the province. A market in transition.
London
The most optimistic city in the country for price declines (40%). A more balanced budget profile suggests renters there are feeling comparatively less acute pressure.
Hamilton
The most budget-constrained Ontario market surveyed. No respondents budgeted above $2,000, and 82% cite high rent as their biggest challenge — highest in the province. Hamilton also leads on rent control awareness, with 53% actively seeking rent-controlled units.
182 survey respondents identified their location only as “Ontario” or “ON” without specifying a city. Their responses are reflected in provincial totals throughout this article but are not attributed to any individual city.
Affordability as a Move Driver: Alberta Leads, Ottawa and London Trail
Despite the lowest absolute rents of any major market, Alberta renters are the most likely to be moving specifically to find something cheaper — 49%, the highest of any region. The pace of recent rent growth, even from a lower base, is clearly being felt. Within Ontario, KWC renters are the most affordability-driven (41%), followed by Hamilton (35%). Ottawa and London trail the province at around 27%, suggesting renters there are moving for other reasons — space, landlord issues, life changes.
Rent Control: Ontario Knows It, the Rest of Canada Isn’t Sure
Ontario renters are the most engaged with rent control nationally. Hamilton leads all markets at 53% actively seeking rent-controlled units. Outside Ontario, the picture shifts sharply: in Manitoba (54% unsure), Atlantic Canada (51%), Quebec (50%), and BC (48%), roughly half of all renters don’t know whether rent control applies to their search. For policymakers and housing advocates, that’s one of the more striking findings in the survey — rent control awareness in Canada is largely an Ontario story, and the gap is wide.
Closing: The Regional Story and the National One
Despite all of these regional differences, one number holds steady everywhere: high rent prices are the number one challenge for renters in every single market surveyed — ranging from 65% in London to 95% in Atlantic Canada. The regional stories are real and meaningful. But the national one is impossible to miss.
For the complete national findings from the Spring 2026 Renter Preference Survey, read our full report here: Spring 2026 Renter Preference Survey
Spring 2026 Renter Preference Survey · Published July 2026
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