Renting in Canada Roundup: Mental Health Check-ins For Renters

Has your landlord offered you a mental health check-in? Rental scammers are hard at work and never rest. And social media is where Canadian renters go for housing information.

As always, 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 Trump tariff-anxious rental market :

In the Daily Hive, Ami Ali points out that this B.C. tenant lasted just a few days in her new rental. A reminder to renters to always do a thorough inspection (and never rent sight unseen!

According to Prisha Dev of Global News, an Ontario woman has been charged after allegedly scamming potential rental tenants out of $54,000. Never let your guard down, renters. And here are some tips on how to avoid rental scams.

Here's some good news from Remi Network: According to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation's latest Housing Market Outlook, rent growth in 2025 across most Canadian markets will slow as vacancy rates increase, leading to gradual improvements in rental affordability. Fingers crossed!

According to findings from a study from the Canadian Home Builders' Association, the City of Edmonton approves building applications over eight times faster than Toronto. Teagan Sliz of Storeys explains why.

Katie Rosseinsky of The Independent reports that a developer is trying to win over potential renters in London, England, by offering subsidized rates on virtual counselling sessions and laying on breathwork, sleep workshops, and “deep rest” sessions.

So, when negotiating rent prices and concessions from your landlord, why not request a Japandi-style bathroom makeover? Amanda Sandoval of Apartment Therapy explains why this mashup is special.

A special election poll of renters by Rentals.ca reveals that Canadian renters rely on many sources for housing policy information, with apparent generational and awareness-based differences, with social media No. 1 and online sources as a whole (social media, news sites, podcasts) representing 61% of the total. Don't forget to vote!

Tenants in a historical downtown rental apartment building in Edmonton say a 200% rent increase (you read that correctly!) is unfair and unjust. Nav Sangha has the story for CTV News.

Is Canada's student housing crisis the result of students being underserved by the laws meant to protect them as renters? Declan Withers of McMaster University's The Silhouette explains.

Ever wonder how Canada's high rents and affordability affect how we live? On CTV Morning Live, UBC Professor of Sociology Nathanael Lauster breaks it down.

Will Canada’s housing crisis worsen under Trump’s tariff war? In a CUPE policy statement, Shauna MacKinnon, Catherine Lussier and Mark Hancock argue that a substantial federal investment in social housing would address the housing crisis by giving people access to affordable housing and act as an economic stimulus creating jobs.

In this Time of Trump Tariffs, comparisons with the U.S. are rampant. Regarding rental costs, the national median U.S. monthly rent, according to Apartment List, is now $1,384 (U.S. currency), up $8 per month compared to February but down $5 compared to March 2024.

In Canada, the average asking rent in February fell for the fifth consecutive month, dropping 4.8% to $2,088. That's still good news for newcomers and international students arriving in Canada.

Finally, rent prices are falling, vacancies are rising, and landlords are negotiating, but affordability remains challenging for newcomers to Canada and international students. It's all in our latest Housing Newsletter for Newcomers.

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.