TORONTO – A new survey of Canadian renters says affordability concerns continue to far outweigh all other rental market challenges even after nearly two years of declines in asking prices.
The Rentals.ca poll asked 1,194 renters in major markets across Canada about their current rental search, housing preferences, household composition, income, budget and attitudes toward the rental market.
Around 70 per cent of respondents identified high rent prices as the biggest obstacle in their housing search, while 11 per cent pointed to unsuitable listings and six per cent cited low rental supply.
The survey highlights a disconnect between renters’ budgets and market realities, with 42 per cent of respondents reporting a monthly rental budget of less than $1,500, while Canada’s average asking rent currently exceeds $2,000 per month.
The latest analysis from Rentals.ca and Urbanation, based on asking rents across the former’s listings network, found the average price in May was down 4.7 per cent year-over-year to $2,029 nationally, marking the 20th consecutive annual decline.
However, the new survey says renters are preparing for costs to remain high, with nearly half expecting prices to either remain unchanged or increase over the next six months, while just one-quarter expect rents to decline.
The survey was conducted via email between May 5 and June 14, with responses collected from those who have used Rentals.ca to search for an apartment throughout the spring.
The Greater Toronto Area had the strongest representation among the sample, along with the rest of Ontario, Vancouver, Winnipeg and Calgary.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 29, 2026.
