July 7, 2021

Rental Report June 2021

For the month of June, 2021, the average cost to rent Canadian properties was $1,667 per month and a monthly increase of 3.15 %. Median rents were $ 1,500 per month in June, a 0% increase.

Nationwide

Although average rental rates increased across Canada from May to June, regional markets have experienced their own unique trends over the past year. Of note, 2-bed rentals in Toronto were listed at 9.32% higher on average in June versus May.

Home Types

Rental rates mostly increased across most property types except for duplex / triplexes, where 1 bedroom home rental rates dropped by over 4% month over month.

Townhouses tend to charge higher rents than most other units, with landlords asking $2,236 per month on average in June versus $2,178 in May.
Apartments increased month over month by 4.29% from $1,490 to $1,553.
Basements increased month over month by 1.01% from $1,381 to $1,395.
Condos increased month over month by 1.62% from $1,784 to $1,813.
Duplexes/Triplexes decreased month over month by 0.13% from $1,525 to $1,523.
Houses increased month over month by 3.45% from $2,054 to $2,125.
Townhouses increased month over month by 2.66% from $2,178 to $2,236.
Apartments accounted for more than 50% of rentals for the month of June.

Rent by Number of Bedrooms

5 bed units tend to charge higher rents than most other units, with landlords asking $4,169 per month on average in June versus $3,708 in May.*
1-bed units increased month over month by 1.67% from $1,320 to $1,342.
2-bed units increased month over month by 2.79% from $1,576 to $1,620.
3-bed units increased month over month by 2.58% from $2,015 to $2,067.
4-bed units increased month over month by 1.27% from $2,605 to $2,638.
5-bed units increased month over month by 12.43% from $3,708 to $4,169.

Provincial Rentals

The highest per square foot rental rates are found in British Columbia and Ontario, with large urban centers like Vancouver and Toronto rental rates driving the price per square foot above $2.50 / sqft for condos. Other provinces had average rental rates per square foot well below the $2 mark, with Newfoundland claiming the lowest average rental rates in Canada for most property types.

At the provincial level, British Columbia boasted rental rates of $1,965 per month in June. The lowest rates in Canada were found in Newfoundland.

Of note, British Columbia saw rates increase by 5.44% and Manitoba saw rates decrease by -2.53%.

The leader in overall number of listings was Ontario with 9,390.

Municipal Rentals

At the municipal level, Vancouver maintained its spot as the most expensive city in Canada, with average rental rates of $2,322 per month in June. The lowest rates in Canada were found in Trois Rivieres.

London, Ontario rentals rates increased by 15.17% and Regina saw the largest municipal decline of 4.40%.

The leader in overall listings was Mississauga with 843.

Summary

The average rent in Canada grew by 3.15%, driven by a growth rate of at least 2% in most provinces. We continue to see rental rates increase in large urban centers as the Canadian rental market recovers from Covid-19. Major urban centers such as Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary, and Oakville saw rental rates increase as increased demand for urban rental properties drove prices higher.

As Canada’s vaccination program reaches more residents, the country is expected to open up. The continuation of price increases over the last quarter suggests the return to normalcy is on its way. With immigration restrictions from emergency orders expected to relax as well, landlords are expecting to see further demand growth for their properties.

SingleKey Data

SingleKey uses multiple sources of residential rental listings to analyze the rental market on a monthly basis such as Kijiji and Padmapper, giving us a glimpse into the rental market from both small residential landlords and larger property management companies.

SingleKey data is based on 14,391 listings that were analysed during the month of June and 19,402 listings analysed in the month of May. These listings include apartments, condos, townhouses, houses, basements, and duplexes/triplexes, as well as listings with up to 8 bedrooms throughout Canada.

Rental rates calculated in this report are based on data collected from public rental listings on sites, which is a smaller sample size than the universe of rentals in Canada, however we believe it is indicative of the actual rental market and the trends that follow.