Renting In Canada Roundup: Is Canada Now a Nation of Renters?

Do you know how to spot rental scams? Has Canada become a nation of long-term renters? And what are Vancouver's cheapest neighbourhoods for renting? Will rental demand continue to plummet?

We've got the answers for domestic, newcomer and international student renters in this week's Renting in Canada roundup.

Here's our look at what's making news in Canada's rental market post-March Break:

An investigation in Toronto's West End Phoenix says Toronto's new landlords are ultra-rich, predominantly American, and over the next eight years, they’re bringing 21,000 units without rent control to a new building near you.

Rent prices are falling, and availability is increasing, but newcomers and international students remain prime targets of rental scammers and fraudsters. Here's why and how to spot them.

A new report from RE/MAX Canada called Nation of Renters says a lack of affordable housing is locking a growing number of aspiring homebuyers into the Canadian rental market for a long time.

Rental demand in Canada tumbled by 10% in February, according to Rentsync's National Demand Report. Will it bounce back in 2025 as immigration slows and more rental housing comes on the market? Find out in our Rent Report for Newcomers to Canada.

In the Toronto Star, Tracy Hanes details how a personal trainer snagged an apartment in Etobicoke closer to his clients, in a dog-friendly building in a neighbourhood with plenty of green space.

A CBC Marketplace investigation went undercover to expose the troubling trend of using Canada’s rental housing crisis to target young women, and even international students, with ‘sex for rent’ offers.

Despite having Canada's most expensive rents, Vancouver remains popular with newcomers to Canada and international students. Elena Shepert of Vancouver is Awesome reveals Metro Vancouver's cheapest neighbourhoods for renting.

With rents falling nationally and vacancy rates rising, Canadian renters are increasingly in "the driver's seat" when it comes to negotiating cheaper rents, incentives and concessions from landlords. Here's whats popular and how to negotiate for it.

British Columbia and the federal government unveiled funding to ensure adequate housing for survivors of gender-based violence in the province. Ottawa will provide almost $37 million over four years which the province will match. The money will help victims transition to secure rental housing in the private market.

In a new report, the Maytree Foundation argues that high rents are forcing more people in Canada into homelessness and poverty – a clear violation of Canada's human rights commitments. Policies focused on boosting private rental supply leave low-income renters behind, argues Maytree, and income security is the immediate solution

Lethbridge, Alberta, is a case study of the impact population growth can have on rent prices, according to Kass Patterson of My Lethbridge Now. Rents in Lethbridge, unlike in nearby Edmonton and Calgary, continue to rise despite abundant housing construction.

Settlement agency Next Stop Canada published its Canadian housing market spring rental outlook for newcomers to Canada and international students. Affordability and uncertainty are the prominent themes. This is an informative read for all prospective renters in Canada.

Steve Tustin is the Content Editor for Rentals for Newcomers and a contributing editor for Prepare for Canada. He is also the former managing editor of Storeys.com and a former senior editor at the Globe and Mail and the Toronto Star.

Rentals for Newcomers provides rental solutions for newcomers and is powered by Rentsync, a North American market leader for property technology within the multifamily apartment industry. This gives Rentals for Newcomers access to the latest rental technology, tools, insights, and trends.