With property taxes set to rise by 3.75 per cent in the new year, the average urban homeowner will be paying an additional $166 on their property tax bill, while the average rural homeowner will pay an additional $93.
Council approved the city’s $5.2 billion operating budget and $1.92 billion capital projects budget on Dec. 10 by a vote of 21 in favour and four opposed.
The budget calls for a $26 million increase in the Ottawa Police Service budget through a five per cent property tax levy.
Transit riders will see an increase of 2.5 per cent for most transit fares, along with an eight per cent property tax levy for OC Transpo, while rates for water, stormwater and sewer are also increasing in 2026.
The average home in Ottawa assessed at $415,000 will pay an additional $74 for transit services, $56 for citywide services and $36 for policing.
Here is a guide to everything from the City of Ottawa that is going to cost more (and a very few things that won’t) in the new year.
Transit services
Most fares will increase by about 2.5 per cent, though the EquiPass and Community pass fees remain frozen and will not increase in 2026.
Adult single-ride fares increase to $4.10 from $4 if paid by card, and rise to $4.15 if paid by cash.
U-Pass monthly fees (sold by semester) increase to $60.17 from $58.70.
Adult monthly passes rise to $138.50 from $135.
Senior (65-plus) monthly passes rise to $59.75 from $58.25 and single ride fares (paid by e-purse) rise to $3.28 from $3.20.
Those 10 and under still ride free, while pre-teen (11 and 12) fares rise five cents to $2.05.
A chartered bus rate increases to $663 from $646 for the first three hours and each additional hour rises to $222 from $216.
Community Services
Most recreation fees will rise by three per cent, including memberships for museums, seniors’ centres, day camps, performing arts and fitness programs.
Museum memberships will rise to $40.68 from $39.51.
City-operated personal training memberships range from $26.25 to $75.88, an increase of 13 per cent over 2025.
Booking a conference room at City Hall will rise 2.8 per cent in 2026, with a range of rental fees depending on the room and for profit organizations and non-profit organizations.
Festival Plaza booking fees rise to $985 from $957 for non-profits and rise to $1,889 from $1,835 for profit organizations.
Basic one-month adult memberships for swim, skate and sport rise to $39.63 from $38.49.
“Plus” one-month adult memberships for weight, cardio and specialized skating rise to $69.81 from $67.81.
“Super” one-month adult memberships for group fitness and wave swimming rises to $82.94 from $80.56.
City arena rentals rise to $351.75 from $341.67 for adults; to $210.85 from $204.81 for minors; and to $362.05 from $351.68 for commercial uses.
Non-prime time arena rentals rise to $164.03 from $159.33.
Artificial turf rentals rise to $147.16 from $142.94 for adults; to $86.63 from $84.15 for minors; and to $158.91 from $154.36 for commercial uses.
Pool rentals, theatre and hall rentals and those for gymnasiums, parking lots, parks, sports fields and ball diamonds will also increase by three per cent.
Business licensing
Application processing fees will rise to $65 from $60, along with late fees for renewals (8.3 per cent increase), while most business licence fees will be increasing by about 3.3 per cent.
All-night dance events will rise to $351 from $340.
Auctioneer annual fees rise to $524 from $508 and per event fees increase to $176 from $171.
Driving school owners and operators will see fees increase to $514 from $498, while instructors’ fees will increase to $185 from $179. An initial vehicle inspection remains unchanged at $60.
Exotic animal entertainment fees rise to $314 from $304 and exotic animal rescue establishments will see fees rise to $159 from $154.
Fees for food premises rise to $233 from $226, while fees for various food and refreshment vendors all rise by 3.1 to 3.4 per cent.
Pet shop fees rise to $131 from $126 while kennel boarding fees rise to $128 from $124. Kennel fees for in-home breeding or recreational purposes rise to $93 from $90.
Payday loan businesses will see fees rise to $619 from $600.
Tobacco product retailers and vape shops will see fees increase to $983 from $953.
A fireworks permit will increase 3.8 per cent to $82 from $79.
Paramedic and emergency services fees
A standard first aid certification two-day course will rise 3.3 per cent to $155.40 from $150.50. A standard one-day recertification course will increase to $102.55 from $99.30.
First aid instructor certification (two-day course) will increase to $264.70 from $256.35 and a half-day crossover clinic will increase to $135.25 from $131.
Special event fees for paramedics will also rise, with the hourly rate for a two-person paramedic resource rising to $293.30 from $284.10, while the single paramedic hourly rate increases to $146.65 from $142.05.
Special event fees for bylaw enforcement officers rise to $80 from $77; parking control officers rise to $75 from $72; property standards officer fees rise to $86 from $83.
The noise bylaw exemption application fee will rise to $84 from $81 and the hourly rate for noise bylaw inspection and monitoring also rises to $84.
Ottawa Police Service fees
The cost of a police records check will increase to $74 from $72 for vulnerable sector employment and for pardon applicants; the cost will rise to $122 from $118 for adoption purposes, which includes fingerprints and a list of occurrences. There is no cost for a criminal records check for volunteers.
Motor vehicle collision reports, available through a freedom of information request, will increase to $222.50 from $214.98. An occurrence report and a list of occurrences will cost $66, up from $64.
The impound recovery fee increases to $205 from $200 and the fee for a false alarm rises to $182 from $176.
Parking
An annual on-street residential parking permit will increase to $792 from $770.
A monthly permit will increase to $172 from $167 for winter months (December to March) and to $37 from $36 for April to November. Weekly permits will increase to $43 from $41.75 for winter months and to $9.25 from $9 for April to November.
The maximum daily rate at city parking lots rises to $26 from $25, while the maximum hourly rate jumps to $8 from $6.50, a 23 per cent increase over 2025.
The maximum fee for a lost parking lot ticket rises to $35 from $30.
Other services and fees
The municipal accommodation tax, which is collected from hotel stays, AirBnbs and other similar accommodations, will increase by one per cent in 2026 to six per cent. A share of that revenue will go to fund the Lansdowne 2.0 project while the remainder will fund tourism initiatives in the city.
The budget also includes a 4.5 per cent increase for water and wastewater services, which means an additional $47.30 annually for the average connected home.
Solid waste fees increase by $2 monthly with an annual total of $267.
The fee for a marriage licence increases to $192.14 from $186.55. A civil marriage at City Hall will increase to $168 from $163.18 from Monday to Friday; the cost will increase to $252 from $244.72 for Friday evenings and Saturdays.
A death registration increases to $54 from $52.28.
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