Renting in Canada Roundup: Renters are Rejecting Pricy Vancouver

Is ultra-pricy Vancouver becoming even more unpopular with renters? Are you prepared to jump from renting to home ownership? And why are rents in New Brunswick finally falling?

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 as families in many provinces enjoy March break:

According to liv.rent's 2025 Rental Market Trend Report, which looks back at the 2024 rental market and key factors shaping 2025, British Columbia continues to dominate the list of priciest places to live and rent in Canada, reports Narcity.

And, says a new report from RentCafe, Vancouver has become a less popular destination for renters in Canada. Daniel Chai has the story for DH Urbanized.

Some Jasper, Alberta tenants -reports the Jasper FitzHugh - are reportedly facing rent increases of nearly 50% amid a housing crisis worsened by last summer’s wildfire, which destroyed 820 housing units and left 2,000 residents in need of housing.

Housing was supposed to be a significant issue in the recent Ontario provincial election won by the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party. However, as a Rentals.ca survey shows, voters didn't appear to grasp Ontario's serious housing issues.

According to this report from CBC News, Statistics Canada data shows the cost of rent in New Brunswick went down every month between last October and January, spelling a potential sign of relief for tenants.

SVN Rock Advisors' Derek Lobo, writing for RENX.ca, looked at what Trump's tariffs and the U.S.-Canada trade war mean for Canadian apartment builders, owners and renters.

The federal government launched the Canada Rental Protection Fund, part of Canada's Housing Plan. This new initiative aims to preserve existing market-owned affordable rental units and prevent further loss. The fund is supposed to safeguard housing stability for Canadians, ensuring more people can continue to live in homes they can afford.

According to Eric Taschner of CTV News, a community service in North Bay that helps people needing independent living, affordable housing, and health care – PHARA – is looking for nearly $8 million in immediate funding to renovate a large affordable housing structure.

According to inBrampton's Ryan Rumbolt, if you’ve been renting an apartment in Brampton for the past few years, you may have spent more than $13,000 in rent compared to the price of a down payment, as a new Zoocasa report shows.

If you're a newcomer thinking of jumping from renting to home ownership, Nina Dragicevic of Canadian Press explains what to expect.

With affordable rents and housing prices compared to Toronto and the GTA, London, Ontario is a great landing spot for newcomers to Canada and international students. Here's everything you need to know about London.

London also has some great neighbourhoods for renting.

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.