Why are Calgary’s furnished rentals cooling faster than Edmonton’s?

Calgary’s average furnished one-bedroom rent fell 16.96% year-over-year in August 2026, nearly double Edmonton’s 8.80% decline, according to liv.rent’s August 2026 Calgary and Edmonton Rent Report. The gap traces largely to supply. Calgary’s purpose-built rental stock grew 11% in 2025, its fastest pace in decades, according to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), pushing vacancy higher and squeezing the extra amount landlords can charge for a furnished unit.

How the two cities compare right now

Per liv.rent’s August 2026 report, Calgary’s average furnished one-bedroom rent was $1,576, down from $1,898 a year earlier. Edmonton’s average furnished one-bedroom rent was $1,413 in August 2026, down from $1,549 the previous August. Both markets are cooling, but Calgary’s furnished segment is doing so at close to twice Edmonton’s pace, even though Calgary’s furnished rent remains the higher of the two in dollar terms.

The construction boom behind Calgary’s steeper drop

CMHC’s 2025 Rental Market Report found Calgary’s purpose-built rental supply expanded 11% that year, the fastest growth the city has recorded in decades, and that Calgary’s vacancy rate reached 5.0%, compared with 3.8% in Edmonton. CMHC noted the new supply was concentrated in higher-end units, the segment most likely to compete with furnished, move-in-ready listings. That overlap helps explain why the furnished premium, not just overall rent, is compressing faster in Calgary than in Edmonton.

What CMHC’s mid-year update says about where things are headed

In its 2026 Mid-Year Rental Market Update, CMHC reported that asking rents declined in Calgary through the first half of 2026, while Edmonton and Montreal showed little change over the same stretch. CMHC also found that Calgary and Edmonton generally need higher vacancy rates than other major Canadian markets before rents stabilize, reflecting both cities’ history of wider rent swings.

How much have Calgary furnished rents actually dropped, and where in the city?

As of August 2026, Calgary’s average furnished one-bedroom rent was $1,576 a month, $111 more than an unfurnished one-bedroom in the city. That furnished premium has narrowed sharply, and the decline is not even across Calgary’s quadrants. Southeast Calgary was the only quadrant where furnished one-bedroom rents rose this month, up 3.24%, while Northeast Calgary posted the steepest monthly drop, down 7.76%, according to liv.rent’s August 2026 Calgary and Edmonton Rent Report.

Calgary’s furnished rent picture by quadrant

Southwest Calgary shows the split within a single quadrant. Furnished one-bedroom rents there fell 5.96% this month to $1,590, while unfurnished one-bedrooms in the same quadrant rose 1.86% to $1,556. Two-bedroom units followed a similar pattern: furnished units were down 3.49% to $1,980, while unfurnished units were up 4.29% to $1,959. Across Calgary, Southwest remains the priciest quadrant for an unfurnished one-bedroom at $1,556, while Northeast is the most affordable at $1,320.

Edmonton’s steadier, more mixed sector trend

Edmonton’s furnished market moved in a mostly opposite direction this month, with gains in four of five reported sectors. Southeast Edmonton posted the largest furnished increase, up 5.38%, while West Edmonton was essentially flat, down just 0.04%, the only sector to register a decrease. Unfurnished one-bedroom rents rose in five of Edmonton’s six sectors, led by Northeast at 6.68%, with Southeast the lone exception, down 0.82%. Southwest remains Edmonton’s priciest sector for an unfurnished one-bedroom at $1,344, while West is the most affordable at $1,197.

Is Calgary’s furnished rental cooldown temporary, or a structural shift?

The evidence suggests Calgary’s furnished rental cooldown is more than a seasonal dip. Calgary’s purpose-built rental stock grew 11% in 2025, the fastest expansion CMHC has recorded for the city in decades, and CMHC’s 2026 Mid-Year Rental Market Update shows Calgary rents were still declining as of mid-2026, while Edmonton’s held comparatively steady.

Why new supply hits the furnished premium hardest

New purpose-built towers often arrive with modern finishes and amenity packages that can make an unfurnished unit feel nearly as move-in ready as a furnished one. CMHC found that Calgary’s 2025 supply growth was concentrated in exactly this kind of higher-end stock, the inventory most likely to compete with furnished, move-in-ready listings, which helps explain why the furnished premium, and not just the headline rent, is the metric moving fastest in Calgary.

Why Calgary and Edmonton do not move like Toronto or Vancouver

CMHC has found that Calgary and Edmonton generally need higher vacancy rates than other major Canadian markets before rents stabilize, reflecting both cities’ history of wider rent swings. That history is playing out unevenly this cycle: CMHC’s 2026 Mid-Year Rental Market Update names Edmonton, alongside Toronto, as one of only two major markets where tenant affordability improved in the first quarter of 2026, a result of slower rent growth paired with strong wage growth. Calgary has not shared that outcome so far.

What Alberta’s rental rules mean for furnished renters right now

Alberta has no legislated cap on how much a landlord can raise the rent, but the Residential Tenancies Act still limits when and how. A landlord cannot increase rent during a fixed term, and cannot raise it again until at least 365 days have passed since the start of the tenancy or the last increase, whichever is later. For a monthly periodic tenancy, the landlord must give at least three full tenancy months’ written notice, according to the Government of Alberta. These are Alberta rental laws specifically; renters and landlords elsewhere in Canada should check their own province’s rules.

Deposits, notice, and what happens if a landlord will not cooperate

A security deposit in Alberta cannot exceed one month’s rent, and landlords must place it in an interest-bearing trust account within two banking days. The prescribed interest rate is 0.0% for all of 2026, according to the Government of Alberta. After a tenant gives up possession of the unit, a landlord has 10 days to return the deposit balance with an itemized statement, or to provide an estimate of deductions and refund the unused portion; the tenant must then receive a final statement and any money owing within 30 days after the tenancy ends. If deductions still seem unfair, tenants can apply to the Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service (RTDRS). As of April 1, 2026, filing fees run $75 for claims of $7,500 or less and $150 for claims above that amount, with fee waivers available for eligible applicants.

Why a soft furnished market gives renters more room to negotiate

With Calgary’s furnished premium down to $111 a month, renters may have more room to negotiate, especially in quadrants like Northeast Calgary, where furnished rents fell hardest this month. Before signing, ask for a full furnishings list in the lease and document the unit’s move-in condition with photos. This is general information, not legal advice; anyone with a specific dispute should contact the RTDRS or a legal clinic directly.

What should Calgary landlords renting furnished units do differently in this market?

With Calgary’s furnished premium down to $111 a month, landlords who price a furnished unit at last year’s rate risk longer vacancies. CMHC’s 2026 Mid-Year Rental Market Update found that landlords in major markets are increasingly leaning on incentives, including free or discounted parking, gift cards, move-in credits, and in some cases cash bonuses, with these incentives intensifying over the six months leading into June 2026 and, in some cases, reaching several months of free rent.

Price against this month’s numbers, not last year’s

Northeast Calgary’s furnished one-bedroom rent fell 7.76% this month alone, the steepest of any quadrant, a sign that oversupplied submarkets need to be priced accordingly rather than held at a prior rate. In Southwest Calgary, the furnished premium has narrowed to $34 ($1,590 furnished versus $1,556 unfurnished), so landlords there should weigh whether the added revenue from furnishing a unit still covers the cost.

Use concessions that earn their cost

Rather than a broad rent cut, targeted incentives, such as a move-in credit, discounted parking, or a small utility allowance, may help attract a qualified tenant without permanently lowering the asking rent. Pair any concession with a complete, itemized furnishings list so both sides have a clear record.

Listing quality and screening matter more in a competitive market

In a market where renters have more choices, professional photos and a complete furnishings inventory help a listing convert faster. It is also worth reviewing how to write an attractive rental ad and how to screen tenants effectively, including using Trust Score, which gives landlords a credit summary and risk assessment, to evaluate an applicant before signing a lease.

Calgary versus Edmonton furnished rentals: a comparison for renters choosing between the two cities

Calgary’s furnished one-bedroom rent averaged $1,576 in August 2026, still higher than Edmonton’s $1,413, even though Calgary’s year-over-year decline of 16.96% is nearly double Edmonton’s 8.80%. The table below breaks down the key differences for renters weighing the two cities right now.

Renters focused on newer stock, deeper concessions, and the most negotiating room will find more of that in Calgary right now, particularly in Northeast and Southwest, where furnished rents have fallen the most this month. Renters focused on the lower absolute cost and a steadier market will find that in Edmonton, which CMHC named alongside Toronto as one of only two major Canadian markets where tenant affordability actually improved in the first quarter of 2026. Either way, both cities are covered every month in liv.rent’s rent reports, so renters can track the gap as it evolves.

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What did CMHC’s 2026 mid-year update actually say about Vancouver?

Vancouver’s asking rents have fallen year over year for 30 consecutive months, and B.C.’s housing ministry says the average rent is now about one-fifth below its September 2023 peak, citing Rentals.ca data in a June 8, 2026 statement. Days later, CMHC’s 2026 Mid-Year Rental Market Update confirmed the broader affordability shift: Vancouver’s asking-rent-to-income ratio is back to pre-pandemic levels, and CMHC found some of the most pronounced drops in that ratio in Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary, and Edmonton.

Asking rent versus what existing tenants actually pay

CMHC tracks two different figures here. Asking rent is the price advertised on a vacant unit right now, the number that’s been falling. Average, or in-place, rent is what tenants already living somewhere pay, and CMHC’s update found that number kept climbing through the first quarter of 2026 across most major markets, largely because rent resets higher when a unit turns over to a new tenant. That gap is why the 30-month streak feels different depending on whether you’re apartment hunting or renewing.

liv.rent’s own numbers echo the asking-rent side of the story. Metro Vancouver’s average asking rent for an unfurnished one-bedroom sat at $2,098 in August 2026, down 4.86% from a year earlier, a decline of $107, according to liv.rent’s August 2026 Metro Vancouver Rent Report.

Does Vancouver’s rent decline affect you if you already have a lease?

If you already have a lease in British Columbia, the CMHC milestone doesn’t automatically change what you pay. Your rent can only rise as much as the province’s annual limit allows, currently 2.3% for 2026, no matter what’s happening to asking rents around you.

How the BC rent increase cap works

British Columbia’s Residential Tenancy Branch sets a maximum allowable rent increase every year under the Residential Tenancy Act. For 2026, that limit is 2.3%, down from 3.0% in 2025 and 3.5% in 2024, the second straight year it’s declined, according to the Residential Tenancy Branch’s rent increase rules. A landlord must give at least three full months’ written notice using the official Notice of Rent Increase form, RTB-7, and can only raise rent once every 12 months for tenancies covered under the Act. You can read more about how the B.C. rent increase cap works before your next renewal notice lands.

When the cap protects you, and when it doesn’t

The cap is a ceiling, not a guarantee. It stops a landlord from raising rent more than 2.3% without special approval, but it doesn’t require them to raise it at all, so it’s still worth raising current market conditions at renewal time. On the other side, a landlord can seek a bigger increase in specific circumstances, such as major capital repairs, through the Residential Tenancy Branch, though that approval isn’t automatic. If you’re unsure whether your tenancy is covered under the Residential Tenancy Act, the province’s rent increase page is the place to check.

Which Vancouver neighbourhoods and BC cities saw the biggest rent drops?

Zoom out to a national comparison and B.C. stands out. The province’s housing ministry said six B.C. cities were among Canada’s 15 largest year-over-year asking-rent decreases, in a June 8, 2026 statement citing Rentals.ca data.

Source: B.C. Ministry of Housing, June 8, 2026, citing Rentals.ca data.

liv.rent’s own tracking, published separately, shows the trend held through August: every one of the nine Metro Vancouver cities liv.rent tracks posted a lower unfurnished one-bedroom asking rent than a year earlier, with Richmond down the most at 8.46% and Langley down the least at 1.6%, an average decline of roughly 4.7% across the nine, according to liv.rent’s August 2026 Metro Vancouver Rent Report. Not every category moved the same way within that: Burnaby was the only city where every rental category, furnished and unfurnished alike, rose from July to August, while Coquitlam’s furnished and unfurnished rents moved in opposite directions over the same month. Despite the broader decline, four of Canada’s five most expensive cities to rent in were still in Metro Vancouver this August, alongside Burlington, Ontario.

Inside Vancouver, the neighbourhood spread is wide

City-wide averages hide a lot. Among Vancouver neighbourhoods with available data, West Point Grey and UBC was the most expensive for an unfurnished one-bedroom in August 2026 at $2,741 a month, while Sunset and Victoria Fraserview was the most affordable at $1,802, according to liv.rent’s August 2026 Metro Vancouver Rent Report. That’s a gap of nearly $1,000 within the same city, which is why neighbourhood-level data matters more than a single citywide number when you’re actually deciding where to look.

Beyond Vancouver, where else in BC rents are easing

Greater Victoria’s vacancy rate climbed to 3.3% in CMHC’s 2025 Rental Market Report, the highest level recorded there since 1999, and vacancy across B.C. communities with 10,000 or more residents rose on average from 1.9% to 3.5% over the same period. Renters comparing options across the region can browse current Vancouver rental listings on liv.rent, and check liv.rent’s renter’s guide for tips on messaging landlords and applying safely.

Why are Vancouver rents falling? Three forces behind the streak

CMHC points to two of the three forces behind the streak directly: a wave of new supply hitting the market at once, and softer demand tied to weaker population growth and higher unemployment. B.C.’s government credits a third factor, its short-term rental rules, with adding to the shift.

A supply wave from two directions

Rental apartment completions in early 2026 were tracking above the same period in 2025, and CMHC’s mid-year update notes that newly built condos that couldn’t find buyers in the ownership market are increasingly landing in the rental pool instead, adding competition on top of purpose-built supply. B.C.’s own numbers back this up: the province says 2025 rental housing starts were roughly triple the 2015 level, and that more than 26,000 purpose-built rental units were registered that year, compared with an average of about 2,500 registrations a year between 2007 and 2016.

Softer demand, and short-term rentals coming back online

B.C. says active short-term rental listings fell from roughly 28,000 to just over 23,000 after provincial restrictions took effect, which the province says returned thousands of homes to the long-term market. Landlords adjusting to shifting applicant pools can lean on liv.rent’s guide to how to screen tenants to vet renters efficiently as the market moves.

Who actually benefits from Vancouver’s renter’s market, and who doesn’t?

New-lease hunters have more leverage than they’ve had in years. Existing tenants are shielded by the cap but not by falling asking rents. Renters at the most affordable end of the market are seeing the least relief.

If you’re signing a new lease

CMHC reports some landlords are using stronger incentives to fill vacant units, including free or discounted parking, move-in credits, gift cards, cash bonuses, and in some cases several months of free rent. If you’re apartment hunting now, compare current asking rents and ask about any available incentives in writing before applying.

If you’re renewing an existing lease

Existing tenants don’t see that side of the market directly. CMHC’s update found that affordability worsened for many existing tenants across major cities in the first quarter of 2026 compared with a year earlier, even as new-tenant affordability improved elsewhere, an effect CMHC ties largely to rents resetting higher at turnover rather than to the modest annual increases sitting tenants see under caps like B.C.’s. Bringing current asking-rent data to a renewal conversation is still worth doing, even without a guarantee your landlord will match it.

If you’re searching at the lower end of the market

CMHC also found that vacancy and turnover increased across most price tiers in Vancouver and Toronto, but the lowest-priced tier stayed persistently tight, evidence that new supply, concentrated in pricier units, isn’t filtering down to the most affordable end of the market fast enough to ease pressure there.

What does this mean for Vancouver landlords in the current market?

For landlords, the calculation has shifted in places. New, higher-priced units are taking longer to lease, and a prolonged vacancy at a below-market rate can offset the value of a rent increase from a reliable existing tenant.

Weigh vacancy cost against retention

CMHC’s update notes that newer, higher-priced rentals are taking longer to fill, with landlords responding through lower asking rents and stronger incentives. In a softer market like this one, it’s worth comparing the real cost of an extended vacancy against the value of keeping a tenant who already pays reliably, rather than assuming a higher asking rent will always win out.

The cap still applies if you want to raise rent further

For tenancies covered by the Residential Tenancy Act, the 2.3% limit applies to standard annual increases in 2026. A landlord who wants to raise rent above that limit needs either the tenant’s written agreement or approval from the Residential Tenancy Branch for an Additional Rent Increase for Expenses or an Additional Rent Increase for Capital Expenditures. For a fuller monthly read on how these numbers are moving city by city, liv.rent’s rent reports are updated regularly and worth checking before setting a renewal rate.

Will Vancouver rents keep falling, or is the bottom near?

CMHC expects rental demand to hold up through 2026, led by younger renters forming new households, even as population growth stays weak. But the same forces pushing rents down now could ease over the next couple of years, which is why the stabilization signs already showing up in monthly data are worth watching.

The supply pipeline could thin out

CMHC’s mid-year commentary notes that much of what’s under construction now is expected to reach the market over the next 12 to 18 months, primarily within the first 12, but also warns that a slowdown in condo starts and the difficulty developers face making new projects pencil out could eventually shrink the flow of new rental competition, particularly the condo units that have been landing in the rental pool by default.

Watch the month-over-month numbers, not just the year-over-year ones

That’s already showing up in liv.rent’s data. Metro Vancouver’s average asking rent for an unfurnished one-bedroom rose 0.45% from July to August 2026, even as the year-over-year decline narrowed from 6.43% in July to 4.86% in August, according to liv.rent’s August 2026 Metro Vancouver Rent Report. CMHC also notes that Vancouver and Toronto typically stabilize at lower vacancy rates than cities like Calgary or Edmonton, so even modest swings in vacancy tend to move rents by more in these two markets. Whether the decline continues will come down to how asking rents, vacancy, and new supply move over the next few months, the factors CMHC flags as the real ones to watch.

The post Vancouver’s rent decline just passed a rare milestone: what CMHC’s mid-year update means for renters appeared first on liv.rent blog.

What are Montreal’s short-term rental rules in summer 2026?

As of summer 2026, Montreal allows tourist rentals of 31 days or fewer in a host’s principal residence only, and only between June 10 and September 10 each year, according to the City of Montreal. Outside that window, renting out a principal residence to tourists isn’t permitted, no matter what permits a host holds.

The summer window: June 10 to September 10

The window runs on a fixed calendar, not a running total of nights. A host can rent their principal residence more than once during those months, as long as each stay is 31 days or fewer, per the city’s current guidance on renting a principal residence to tourists. There’s no provision to bank unused summer days and use them later in the year, though that’s one of the things city hall is currently reconsidering (more on that below).

Principal residence only, and what it means for tenants

The rule is tied to where the host actually lives, not simply to ownership. A second property or an investment condo rented out full time doesn’t qualify. Under those same city rules, a tenant can’t sublet their unit as a short-term rental unless the lease allows it or the landlord gives written authorization first, and a landlord can’t list a tenant’s unit that way without that same consent.

Registration steps and what they cost in 2026

Getting set up legally means clearing two separate registrations. Quebec requires anyone offering a stay of 31 days or fewer for payment to register the property, and the province’s 2026 fee for a principal-residence tourist accommodation establishment is $54, according to the Government of Quebec. Montreal then requires its own municipal host permit, currently priced at $350 including taxes. Hosts are expected to complete both the provincial registration and the municipal permit process before advertising a qualifying principal residence on a booking platform.

Which Montreal boroughs restrict short-term rentals?

Three boroughs are excluded from the summer window entirely. Lachine, Saint-Laurent, and Saint-Léonard don’t allow a principal residence to be rented to tourists, even between June 10 and September 10, according to the City of Montreal.

What the restriction covers, and what it doesn’t

The restriction applies to principal-residence tourist rentals specifically, the type most hosts use. It doesn’t necessarily settle the question for every commercial or specially zoned tourist accommodation in those boroughs, which can fall under separate zoning rules. Anyone planning around short-term income in Lachine, Saint-Laurent, or Saint-Léonard should confirm zoning directly with the borough rather than assume the door is fully closed or fully open.

How to check the rules for your address

Rules can vary by street even within a permitted borough, since some zones limit or exclude tourist accommodation regardless of the citywide window. The most reliable way to confirm what applies to a specific address is to check directly with the City of Montreal or the property’s borough office. For more on rental rules across the province, see liv.rent’s Quebec rental law resources.

Did the rules actually increase long-term housing supply?

This is the least settled part of the story. The city, an independent academic study, an industry-commissioned report, and Canada’s national housing agency have each looked at some version of this question over the past year and a half, and they don’t all point the same direction.

What the city estimated when the rule passed

When Montreal adopted the bylaw in 2025, the city estimated the change could return roughly 2,000 units to the long-term rental market, according to CBC News reporting at the time. That figure was a projection made before the rule took effect, not a measured outcome, and it hasn’t been publicly updated since.

What an independent McGill study found

Some of the more substantial independent evidence comes from a McGill University study, highlighted in an August 12, 2026 university news release drawing on peer-reviewed research published in the journal Regional Studies. Looking at Canadian municipalities that restricted principal-residence short-term rentals between 2017 and 2022, researchers linked the restrictions to renters saving a combined $192.4 million a month by 2023. Rents in the 309 regulated neighbourhoods studied ran about $24 lower within a year of a restriction, climbing to $55 lower over time, while rents in nearby unregulated neighbourhoods fell by roughly $40, a pattern the researchers read as evidence that rental markets respond regionally rather than block by block. Montreal’s rules specifically were linked to lower rents in neighbouring Laval and Longueuil. The study is national in scope, so it doesn’t measure Montreal’s 2025 bylaw in isolation.

What an Airbnb-commissioned analysis found

The opposing view comes from an analysis by Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton, commissioned by Airbnb and published in March 2026. It argues Montreal’s rules haven’t meaningfully improved vacancy rates or long-term rents, and projects a shortfall of more than 26,000 accommodation nights, with over $19 million in economic activity at risk, during the 2026 Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix and UCI World Cycling Championships. Because Airbnb commissioned the analysis, it’s best read as an industry perspective rather than an independent evaluation of Montreal’s housing outcomes.

What CMHC and liv.rent’s own numbers show

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s mid-year 2026 update, published June 9, found Montreal’s vacancies rose while tenant turnover fell across most rent quartiles, concentrated in buildings completed after 2020 and near post-secondary institutions. liv.rent’s own August 2026 Montreal Rent Report adds a first-party data point: the average asking rent for an unfurnished one-bedroom fell 5.2% year over year to $1,605, and nine of the ten neighbourhoods liv.rent tracks posted lower unfurnished one-bedroom rents than a year earlier, led by a 13.8% drop in Villeray-Parc-Extension. None of this proves the short-term rental rules caused the decline on their own. Montreal’s rental market has several forces moving through it at once, including a wave of new purpose-built supply, so the rules are best read as one plausible contributor among several, not the whole explanation.

What the summer window means for renters searching right now

Summer is the toughest season to compete with short-term listings

For renters, summer is when legal short-term rental activity can peak, since June 10 to September 10 is when qualifying principal-residence hosts can operate in most Montreal boroughs. That overlaps with the same months when many long-term leases turn over in Quebec, so renters searching in July can end up competing with furnished, short-stay inventory for units in the same buildings and neighbourhoods.

What happens after September 10

After September 10, a principal residence that qualified for summer hosting can no longer be rented to tourists for stays of 31 days or fewer, under the city’s summer window rules. That stays true until the following June 10. It’s possible some hosts shift toward longer stays or a long-term lease once the window closes, but there’s no published City of Montreal figure confirming how many units convert to long-term rental use each year.

The 31-day workaround, and where to look for a real lease

Quebec’s tourist-accommodation registration requirement applies to paid stays of 31 days or fewer. A lease of a month or longer generally falls outside that framework, though it’s still subject to ordinary lease, housing, and municipal rules, it just isn’t governed by the short-term rental regime. For renters who want a genuine long-term home rather than a month-to-month stopgap, checking the lease term, an ID-verified landlord, and a verified listing badge is a reasonable way to tell a real long-term rental from a short-stay listing dressed up as one. liv.rent’s Montreal listings and its guide to finding a long-term rental are built around exactly that kind of search.

What the rules mean for Montreal landlords and property owners

Who’s actually allowed to operate a short-term rental

In most Montreal boroughs, a host can only rent their own principal residence to tourists during the permitted summer window. A landlord generally can’t use a separate investment property as a short-term rental simply because they own it, since the rule is tied to the operator’s own principal residence, not to ownership alone. For an investor holding a Montreal condo purely as a rental property, the seasonal short-term option generally isn’t available at all, which pushes most investment-property owners toward long-term leasing by default.

Quebec’s 2026 rent-setting rules for long-term leases

For landlords leasing long term instead, Quebec’s Tribunal administratif du logement (TAL) lists the 2026 base percentage applicable to rent at 3.1%, down from 4.5% in 2025. That figure isn’t an automatic increase every landlord can apply across the board; it’s one input into a building-specific calculation that also weighs costs, taxes, and capital work, and either side can bring a dispute to the TAL if they disagree with the result.

Weighing a summer rental income against a long-term tenant

The seasonal option is narrower than it might first look: roughly three months of potential tourist-rental income, two separate registration or permit costs, and competition from every other host doing the same thing in the same window. A long-term lease produces income across 12 months and falls under Quebec’s rent-setting framework rather than a fixed summer calendar. liv.rent’s guide to screening tenants and guide to writing an attractive rental ad are built for landlords choosing that route.

How Montreal compares with other Canadian cities

Toronto: principal residence plus an annual night cap

Toronto also restricts short-term rentals to an operator’s principal residence and requires city registration. The City of Toronto lists its 2026 renewal fee at $390. Rather than a seasonal window, Toronto caps whole-home short-term rentals at 180 nights a year, and its official operator guidance doesn’t describe anything resembling Montreal’s fixed calendar restriction.

British Columbia: a province-wide, not city-specific, framework

British Columbia takes a third approach. In many B.C. communities, the province’s principal-residence requirement limits short-term rentals to a host’s main home, plus in some cases one secondary suite or accessory dwelling unit on the same property. Hosts in B.C. have also had to register with the provincial short-term rental registry to operate since May 1, 2025. Because the principal-residence requirement doesn’t apply the same way in every community, hosts and renters alike should check the current provincial list and local bylaws before relying on it.

Here’s how the three frameworks compare on the points renters and hosts ask about most:

Of the three, Montreal is the only one built around a fixed calendar window rather than a running total of nights or a straightforward principal-residence rule, though that’s the piece the city is now actively working to change.

What could change next

The city’s own plan to replace the summer window

This isn’t a fringe idea anymore. Soraya Martinez Ferrada campaigned on replacing the fixed June 10 to September 10 window with a flexible cap of up to 90 days a year that hosts could use anytime, according to CBC News coverage of the campaign, and her party, Ensemble Montréal, went on to win Montreal’s November 2025 municipal election. Since taking office, her administration has confirmed it’s moving ahead with that change: alongside the flexible 90-day allowance, the plan includes banning short-term rentals of commercial spaces and expanding the number of inspectors who enforce the rules.

Where things stand as of August 2026

The original June 10 to September 10 window remains the rule in effect. The changes weren’t ready in time for the 2026 Formula 1 Grand Prix in May, and the mayor’s office has said it intends to introduce a new bylaw this fall. Airbnb has been actively lobbying city hall to loosen the rules further, while Ericka Alneus, the city council’s opposition leader from Projet Montréal, has argued that more than 7,000 short-term rental units could return to Montreal’s long-term rental market if commercial short-term rentals are banned outright, a claim tied to her push for the administration to move faster and more clearly on the file.

What it could mean for long-term supply

The two rules under discussion pull in different directions. A year-round 90-day allowance would remove the predictable autumn conversion point renters currently see, since hosts could spread their nights across the calendar instead of clustering them in summer. A ban on commercial, non-principal-residence short-term

The post What Montreal’s short-term rental rules mean for long-term supply this summer appeared first on liv.rent blog.

Why vacancy is a growing challenge for Ontario landlords in 2026

Ontario vacancy rates are at a multi-year high

Ontario landlords can address vacancy in 2026 by pricing units to current data, sharpening listings, screening tenants thoroughly, and building tenant relationships that cut costly turnover. According to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)’s 2025 Rental Market Report, released December 11, 2025, the Greater Toronto Area’s purpose-built vacancy rate climbed to 3.0% in 2025, its highest level since before the pandemic. Nationally, the average vacancy rate for purpose-built rental apartments across major centres rose to 3.1%, up from 2.2% in 2024. CMHC’s 2026 Mid-Year Rental Market Update, published June 9, 2026, shows asking rents continuing to decline in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, and Ottawa as new supply keeps arriving.

What softer conditions mean for individual landlords

A softer market shifts leverage toward renters. Nearby buildings competing for the same applicants, longer lease-up periods, and more comparison shopping all mean a unit priced or presented the way it might have been two years ago can sit empty far longer than a landlord expects. CMHC’s 2026 update notes that in some cases, it can now take months to fill a vacant unit, particularly in newer or higher-priced buildings. liv.rent’s own July 2026 Ontario Rent Report confirms the same pattern locally: most GTA municipalities recorded lower year-over-year unfurnished one-bedroom rents this July, with declines ranging from 0.6% in Burlington to 15.8% in Markham, and only Milton bucking the trend with a slight 0.3% increase. One-bedroom units accounted for 50.33% of active GTA listings this July, per the same report, so landlords in this segment face the most direct competition.

The real cost of a vacant unit

Every week a unit sits empty means a week of lost rent, on top of cleaning, advertising, and the hours spent screening applicants. Those costs add up quickly and rarely show up in a landlord’s initial budget for a vacancy. On a $2,000 monthly rent, for example, the lost rent alone breaks down like this:

That’s before adding cleaning, advertising, and screening time, which is why treating vacancy reduction as an ongoing part of managing a rental, rather than something to handle only once a tenant gives notice, keeps those costs from compounding.

Strengthen your rental listing to shorten vacancy time

Photos, pricing, and first impressions that convert

A listing’s first impression often decides whether a renter clicks through or scrolls past. Clear, well-lit photos, an accurate description of the unit’s condition and features, and a price that matches what similar units are actually renting for all shorten the time a listing stays up. With apartments accounting for 94.96% of active GTA rental listings this July, per liv.rent’s July 2026 Ontario Rent Report, most landlords are competing against near-identical unit types, so overpricing, more than any other single factor, is why units sit empty in a softening market.

Writing a listing description that attracts qualified tenants

A good listing description is specific rather than vague: square footage, included utilities, parking, and pet policy should all be stated upfront so renters can self-select before they apply. For tips on structuring a listing that converts, see liv.rent’s guide on how to write an attractive rental listing.

Incentives are shaping how landlords compete for renters

CMHC’s 2025 Rental Market Report found that 75% of GTA structures completed since 2022 offered at least one incentive to attract tenants during their lease-up period, most commonly one to two months of free rent. CMHC’s 2026 Mid-Year Rental Market Update adds that landlords are increasingly turning to free or discounted parking, gift cards, move-in credits, and cash bonuses to compete for renters in a softer market. Reaching a wide, verified pool of renters matters just as much as the incentive itself.

Price your unit right to avoid prolonged vacancy

Compare your rent to current Ontario data

Pricing decisions should start with the most recent local data rather than last year’s numbers. Per liv.rent’s July 2026 Ontario Rent Report, the City of Toronto’s average unfurnished one-bedroom rent fell year over year by $87 to $1,961 a month, while most GTA municipalities recorded lower year-over-year rents this July. Rents are still easing month to month too: Toronto’s unfurnished one-bedroom average slipped another $9 in July, while the furnished equivalent fell $11 to $1,918. Rent per square foot tells a similar story regionally, ranging from $2.81 in Downtown Toronto to $1.31 in Brampton this July, so where a unit sits within the region matters as much as its size.

Source: liv.rent’s July 2026 Ontario Rent Report.

That’s a $480 monthly gap between the region’s most and least expensive tracked municipalities, Oakville at $2,132 and Oshawa at $1,652, a reminder that hyper-local data beats a single citywide number when setting an asking rent.

Incentives versus lowering the asking rent

Landlords facing a slow lease-up have two main levers: lower the advertised rent, or keep the rent steady and add an incentive, such as a free month or reduced parking. Incentives can be easier to reverse once the market tightens again, while a lower asking rent may become the new comparable for future renters in the building.

Track neighbourhood trends with rent reports

Rent conditions vary block by block, not just city by city. Downtown Toronto, for example, saw one of the smallest year-over-year declines in the GTA this July, just 1.0%, easing from $2,127 to $2,106, while still ranking among the region’s highest-priced submarkets. Following liv.rent’s monthly Ontario Rent Report gives landlords a running view of which municipalities and unit types are softening fastest, so pricing decisions can be adjusted before a unit has already sat vacant for weeks.

Tenant screening: filling your vacancy with the right renter

What Ontario landlords can legally ask during screening

Ontario Regulation 290/98, a regulation under the Human Rights Code, sets out the business practices landlords may use when selecting a tenant. According to the Ontario Human Rights Commission, landlords may request credit references, rental history, and credit check authorization, and may request income information only if they also request the others. None of these tools can be used to screen out an applicant based on a protected ground such as race, family status, or disability.

Key documents to request: income, credit, and rental history

A consistent screening process, applied the same way to every applicant, protects both the landlord and the tenant. Request the same documents from every applicant: proof of income, consent for a credit check, and contact information for a previous landlord.

Why rushing the screening process costs more than waiting

Filling a vacancy quickly with an unscreened tenant can create far more expensive problems than a few extra weeks of vacancy, from missed rent to a lengthy Landlord and Tenant Board process to resolve it. liv.rent’s built-in tenant screening tools, including the Trust Score credit and background summary, let landlords assess applicants quickly without cutting corners.

Tenant retention strategies that prevent vacancy before it starts

Early lease renewal conversations reduce turnover

The cheapest vacancy to fill is the one that never happens. Reaching out to a good tenant a couple of months before their lease ends, rather than waiting for them to bring it up, gives both sides time to work out a renewal instead of defaulting to a move-out.

Maintenance responsiveness as a vacancy prevention tool

Tenants who feel their maintenance requests are handled promptly are far more likely to renew. Slow repairs are a common, avoidable reason good tenants start looking elsewhere.

Weighing a rent increase against the cost of re-leasing

On a $2,000 monthly rent, Ontario’s 2026 guideline of 2.1% adds $42 a month, or $504 a year, if applied to a sitting tenant. Compare that to the cost of a turnover: lost rent while the unit sits empty, cleaning, advertising, and screening time, and, in CMHC’s words, in some cases it can now take months to fill a vacant unit. In a softer 2026 market, retaining a reliable tenant is often the better math.

Understanding vacancy decontrol and what it means for Ontario landlords

What vacancy decontrol means under the Residential Tenancies Act

Ontario’s annual rent-increase guideline, 2.1% for 2026, applies to a sitting tenant’s rent. It does not apply once a unit becomes vacant and a new tenant agrees on a rent amount with the landlord, according to Ontario’s residential rent increases page, last updated June 23, 2026. This is commonly known as vacancy decontrol.

How to set market rent for a new tenancy

Once a new tenant signs a lease, the 12-month rule and the annual guideline apply going forward for that tenancy. Landlords must still give 90 days’ written notice, using the proper Landlord and Tenant Board form, before any future increase takes effect.

Rent-controlled versus exempt units in 2026

Buildings, additions, and most new basement apartments first occupied for residential purposes after November 15, 2018 are generally exempt from the rent-increase guideline entirely, per Ontario’s rent increase rules. For a broader look at how these rules interact with eviction notices and tenant protections, see liv.rent’s Ontario rental laws resources.

How liv.rent helps Ontario landlords address vacancy faster

Listing your Ontario rental on liv.rent

Every strategy in this guide, sharper pricing, a stronger listing, careful screening, and tenant retention, works better with the right tools behind it. liv.rent gives Ontario landlords access to a large pool of verified renters, reducing the time a listing spends unseen by qualified applicants.

Built-in screening, digital leases, and dashboard tools

liv.rent’s landlord dashboard brings ID-verified applicants, Trust Score credit and background checks, digital lease signing, and rent collection into one place, so landlords spend less time juggling tools and more time filling the vacancy. For more on managing renewals and maintenance requests in one place, see liv.rent’s guide to the landlord dashboard and digital tools.

Getting started in minutes

Listing a rental on liv.rent takes just a few minutes, and landlords can post their first listing for free. Combined with the pricing, screening, and retention strategies above, it is a practical way for Ontario landlords to keep vacancy short and costly turnover rare in 2026.

The post How Ontario landlords can address vacancy in 2026 appeared first on liv.rent blog.

What automating a large portfolio actually looks like

Every part of managing a large rental portfolio, from listing a unit to collecting rent, now ties into a specific liv.rent integration. Webhooks, XML feeds, RentSync, Buildium, Yardi, Zapier, Rhenti, Leasey.AI, and the Developer API each automate one link in the chain, connecting liv.rent to the tools a landlord already runs so listings and leads move automatically instead of by hand.

How liv.rent integrations plug into your existing dashboard

Every liv.rent integration connects to a specific point in a landlord’s day to day workflow rather than replacing it. Enterprise users keep their landlord dashboard and digital tools as the home base, while Webhooks, XML feeds, Zapier, Buildium, Yardi, and the Developer API each automate one part of the process running underneath it, as outlined in liv.rent’s own integrations guide. A dedicated account manager handles the technical setup for every integration; a landlord only needs to share API, XML, or Yardi credentials to get started.

Listing creation and multi channel marketing

For a portfolio spread across dozens of buildings, listing accuracy is the first process worth automating. Depending on which system a landlord already runs, liv.rent offers several paths to bring that listing in automatically: a custom XML feed, a RentSync connection, the Developer API, a sync through Rhenti or Leasey.AI, or a direct pull from Buildium or Yardi. Whichever path fits a landlord’s existing stack, the result is the same: unit details, availability, photos, and pricing update on liv.rent the moment they change at the source, instead of someone re-entering the same listing by hand a second time.

Tenant screening and lead response: Webhooks and Zapier

Once a listing is live, speed of response becomes the next bottleneck. A Webhook fires the instant a new application or lead comes in, and a connected Zap sends it straight to a landlord’s CRM or task manager, so every inquiry lands in one central system of the landlord’s choosing without anyone copying it over by hand. Trust Score screening happens separately, inside liv.rent: because it draws on sensitive information like credit summaries, income verification, and risk assessment, that data stays on the platform rather than being exported to a connected CRM or other tool. A landlord reviews the Trust Score within liv.rent itself, then acts on that decision in whichever system they’ve centralized their leads.

From application to signed lease

Once an applicant is approved, the lease itself can be created, sent, and signed through liv.rent’s digital lease agreements, with both signatures collected in the same chat thread as the application. This step lives entirely within liv.rent and does not depend on a third party integration. Once the lease is signed, rent collection runs through liv.rent as well, accepted by credit card or UnionPay directly through the platform.

Scaling automation across a multifamily portfolio

At enterprise scale, no single integration carries a portfolio on its own. Multifamily operators, student housing managers, and REITs typically combine several at once: XML feeds, RentSync, Rhenti, Leasey.AI, Buildium, and Yardi for bringing listings in from a landlord’s existing systems, Webhooks and Zapier for centralizing lead flow into a CRM, and the Developer API for anything that does not fit an off the shelf connector. liv.rent’s Enterprise plan is built specifically around this combination for operators managing hundreds of units across multiple properties. Landlords who want the fuller picture beyond integrations, including screening, applications, and lease management, can start with liv.rent’s landlords guide, then reach out to the liv.rent team directly to confirm enterprise access.

The post How landlords with large portfolios automate processes using liv.rent integrations appeared first on liv.rent blog.

What development charges actually are

British Columbia is leading the country in rent decreases right now. In a July 9, 2026, statement, Housing and Municipal Affairs Minister Christine Boyle said she was “glad to see more good news for renters,” pointing in part to a new commitment to cut development charges. The province will match close to $1.6 billion in federal infrastructure funding, for a combined total of up to $3.2 billion, to lower the fees builders pay to put up new homes. Three days earlier, on July 6, 2026, a separate $9 million went out to 56 local governments to speed up how quickly those homes get approved in the first place.

Both announcements often get grouped together as development charge cuts, but they are two different programs, and neither one lowers anyone’s rent by itself. Here is what each one actually does, and what it means for renters and landlords in B.C.

“Development charges” is shorthand for a few different municipal fees. In B.C., the two largest are development cost charges (DCCs) and amenity cost charges (ACCs). DCCs pay for infrastructure a new building requires: water, sewer, drainage, and roads. Recent changes to the Local Government Act also let DCCs fund fire halls, police facilities, and solid waste facilities. ACCs work similarly but pay for community amenities such as recreation centres, daycares, and libraries. In the city of Vancouver, the equivalent charge is called a development cost levy, or DCL.

The detail that matters most here: these charges are set by municipal bylaw, not by the province. B.C. can offer money and attach conditions to it, but a city or regional district still has to pass its own bylaw before any discount applies to a real project.

The $3.2 billion commitment

The federal government’s Build Communities Strong Fund, introduced in the 2025 federal budget, sets aside $17.2 billion over 10 years for provinces and territories, on the condition that they cost match Ottawa’s investment and get municipalities to cut development charges. Under the deal confirmed in the Minister’s July 9, 2026, statement, B.C. will contribute close to $1.6 billion of its own money over 10 years, bringing the province’s combined total to as much as $3.2 billion.

The money is meant to do two things. It will fund cuts to development charges on multi-unit housing, up to half off in the communities the province designates as priority areas, which could save a builder as much as $40,000 on a single unit. It will also help pay for the infrastructure those new homes still need to function, things like water and wastewater systems and local roads. As of this writing, the province has not published which communities qualify as priority areas, so renters and landlords should check with their own municipality before assuming it applies locally.

A separate $9 million for faster approvals

Three days before the development charge announcement, the province confirmed a separate $9 million through the Local Government Development Approvals Program, administered with the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM). 56 local governments received grants, ranging from under $20,000 to $200,000 each, to modernize permitting systems, adopt standardized housing designs, and connect with the province’s BC Building Permit Hub.

Burnaby, Richmond, and the city of Vancouver were among the recipients, each receiving close to $200,000. This program does not touch what developers pay in fees. It targets how long a project sits waiting for a permit, which is its own cost for anyone building rental housing.

What this could mean for renters

Neither program changes what a sitting tenant pays this year. B.C.’s allowable rent increase for 2026 stays capped at 2.3%, unaffected by either announcement.

The connection to renters plays out over a longer timeline. Development charges are one of the costs built into a new rental building’s math before a single unit is leased. Lowering that cost is meant to make more purpose-built rental projects viable, particularly in cities where high fees have stalled or cancelled projects. More supply, delivered over the next several years, is the mechanism the province is counting on to keep asking rents moving in the direction they have already been heading. For the specifics on your own renewal, see our Guide to B.C. Rent Increases.

What this means for landlords and developers

For anyone building or planning multi-unit rental housing in B.C., a lower development charge is a direct saving, provided the project sits in a community that qualifies. Vancouver already tested a version of this on its own. In December 2025, city council approved a temporary 20% reduction to its development cost levies to keep projects moving during a difficult construction market. Vancouver’s mayor, Ken Sim, said the city needed to “do our part to reduce development costs” if it wanted more affordable homes built.

Landlords managing existing buildings will not see a direct benefit from either program. The savings apply to new construction, not to units that are already built and already rented. If you are pricing a unit today, our Landlord Guide: How Much Should I Charge For Rent? is a better starting point than either announcement.

The catch: charges are municipal, and savings depend on pass-through

Two things are worth holding onto before treating this as settled.

First, the province can offer money and attach conditions, but development cost charges and amenity cost charges are still set by municipal bylaw. Every city or regional district has to amend its own bylaws to actually pass the discount along, and the province’s release does not set a timeline for when that happens community by community.

Second, a lower development charge does not automatically mean a lower rent. How much of a fee cut reaches renters, instead of being absorbed into a project’s margins, is genuinely disputed among housing economists, and it depends heavily on how competitive a local rental market already is. Rising development charges have been blamed for pushing up new home costs for years, which is part of why Vancouver moved on its own cut in 2025, but a reduction does not reverse that math overnight. It changes what gets built over the next construction cycle, not what anyone pays this month.

What to watch next

A few markers will show whether this turns into anything concrete: which communities the province names as priority areas, whether cities such as Vancouver, Burnaby, or Surrey pass matching bylaw amendments, and whether new purpose-built rental announcements start citing the funding directly. liv.rent’s monthly rent reports track new purpose-built supply as it reaches the market, which is where any real effect would eventually show up.

Rethink the way you rent

Not on liv.rent yet? Experience the ease of digital applications and contracts, verified tenants and landlords, and more, all on one platform. Sign up for free or download the app.

Frequently asked questions

The post What B.C.’s $3.2 billion development charge cut means for renters and landlords appeared first on liv.rent blog.

What the 2026 rental market outlook means for landlords

Landlords across Canada are entering 2026 with more competition for tenants than they have seen in years. The national purpose-built vacancy rate reached 3.1% in 2025, according to CMHC’s December 2025 rental market report, up from 2.2% in 2024 and a record low of 1.5% in 2023. RBC Economics expects the rate to climb further this year, which means pricing, tenant retention, and leasing strategy deserve fresh attention.

From a landlord’s market to a balanced market

The jump from 1.5% vacancy in 2023 to 3.1% in 2025 is one of the fastest swings CMHC has recorded, and it signals a shift from a landlord-favoured market toward a more balanced one.

Asking rent versus average rent

Two figures matter here. Asking rent is what a landlord advertises for a vacant unit, and it fell nationally in 2025. Average rent, what tenants are actually paying, still rose 5.1% for a two-bedroom unit, largely because units are repriced higher at turnover. liv.rent’s monthly rent reports track asking rent city by city, adding a more current read between CMHC’s annual surveys.

A third straight year of rising vacancy

RBC Economics projects that 2026 will be the third consecutive year of rising vacancy nationally, with two-bedroom apartment vacancy expected to top 3%, the threshold RBC treats as marking a balanced market, for the first time in about a decade.

What is driving vacancy higher in 2026?

Record rental construction

Housing starts rose nationally in 2025, driven largely by purpose-built rental construction, according to RBC Economics. CMHC’s June 2026 Mid-Year update adds that vacancy is highest in buildings completed after 2020 and in units near post-secondary institutions.

A slower population, a softer demand side

RBC Economics reports that a sharp drop in temporary resident inflows through 2025 pulled national population growth down to roughly 0.9%, with further slowing expected in 2026. Ontario and B.C. landlords are the most exposed, since both provinces have historically absorbed the majority of temporary resident arrivals.

Condo investors entering the rental pool

CMHC’s 2026 Mid-Year Rental Market Update flags investor-owned condo rentals as a source of competition that is currently higher than usual for purpose-built landlords in larger markets, though CMHC expects this pressure to ease as condo completions decline in coming years. For general guidance on leasing and screening, liv.rent’s landlord resources hub covers these topics in depth.

City by city: where vacancy stands for landlords

National figures only tell part of the story. Here is how the largest rental markets compared in CMHC’s 2025 survey.

These figures, along with Montreal and Halifax data, are detailed in CMHC’s December 2025 rental market release. Vacancy in Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area buildings completed since 2000 climbed further still, reaching a five-year high of 5.4% in the first quarter of 2026, according to Urbanation.

What rising vacancy means for landlord strategy

The real cost of turnover

Industry guides put a realistic Toronto turnover, covering four to six weeks of vacancy, cleaning, painting, and a locator fee, at $5,000 to $10,000 or more before lost rent is added in. This figure comes from a landlord education resource rather than CMHC or RBC, so treat it as an illustrative range rather than an official government number.

Screening matters more, not less

A wider applicant pool means more variation in tenant quality. Careful tenant screening protects landlords from non-payment risk even as competition for renters increases.

Pricing: hold, negotiate, or offer incentives

Ontario’s 2026 rent increase guideline is 2.1%, down from 2.5% in 2025, and it applies to units first occupied before November 15, 2018, per Ontario.ca’s residential rent increase guidance. Units occupied on or after that date are exempt from the cap, though 90 days’ written notice is still required. In a softer market like the GTHA, where vacancy hit a five-year high through spring 2026, retaining a good tenant is often worth more than pushing rent to the top of the market.

Incentives and listings: standing out in 2026

What landlords are offering

Urbanation’s Q1 2026 data found 66% of purpose-built rental projects in the GTHA offered incentives, up from 62% a year earlier. Two months of free rent were offered by 47% of projects, up sharply from 32% the year before, while one month free fell to 42% of projects from 53%. Cash move-in bonuses grew to 17% of projects from 10%.

Incentives versus a lower headline rent

After accounting for these incentives, net effective rent in the GTHA averaged $3.52 per square foot in the first quarter of 2026, down 3.8% year over year and the lowest level in 16 quarters. Incentives reduced advertised rents by roughly 13%, or about $379 a month, from $2,904 down to $2,525. Offering a concession tends to protect long-term asking rent better than cutting the sticker price outright.

A listing that still gets noticed

A strong rental listing, with clear photos, accurate amenity details, and transparent pet and parking policies, matters more when renters have options.

Tools and data every landlord should track in 2026

Sources worth bookmarking

CMHC’s Rental Market Survey data tables, updated every October, remain the most authoritative annual snapshot available. Because CMHC surveys only once a year, liv.rent’s monthly rent reports help fill the gap between releases with more current asking rent data.

What the numbers are showing

CMHC’s June 2026 Mid-Year update notes that in Toronto and Vancouver, rents have stabilized at relatively lower vacancy levels, meaning even small vacancy increases can meaningfully ease rent pressure there, while Montreal, Ottawa, and Halifax have seen more gradual transitions. RBC Economics expects average rent increases to slow further, to roughly 3.6% in 2026.

Centralizing the work

A landlord dashboard that combines listings, applications, digital leases, and rent tracking in one place cuts down on the administrative load that turns a short vacancy into a longer, costlier one.

The outlook for the rest of 2026 and into 2027

Will vacancy keep climbing

IBISWorld projects the national vacancy rate will reach 3.7% in 2026, continuing the climb from 2023’s record low, as reduced rental demand meets a wave of new supply.

Where the pendulum could swing back

CMHC expects competition from investor-owned condo rentals to ease as condo completions slow in coming years, while household formation, especially among younger Canadians who are more likely to rent, should keep providing a demand floor through 2026.

The takeaway for landlords

Landlords who prioritize tenant retention, keep up with monthly rent data, and use digital tools for screening and leasing now will be better positioned whenever conditions tighten again. Whatever your market looks like this year, liv.rent’s landlord tools, from tenant screening to digital leases and dashboards, can help you adapt quickly and keep your units occupied.

The post Canadian rental market outlook for landlords: vacancy rate trends to watch in 2026 appeared first on liv.rent blog.

How liv.rent supports enterprise landlords across Canada

Enterprise landlords can use liv.rent to manage multi-unit buildings across Canada by centralizing listings, automating tenant screening, syndicating vacancies to multiple platforms, and integrating with existing property management software through a single enterprise-grade dashboard. The platform is built for high-volume, multi-property operations and is trusted by real estate investment trusts (REITs) and large property management companies from Vancouver to Toronto.

Managing hundreds of units across British Columbia, Ontario, Alberta, and beyond involves more than keeping vacancies filled. It means coordinating leasing teams, staying current with different provincial tenancy laws, maintaining consistent tenant screening, and ensuring every lease document meets the standard for its jurisdiction. Generic tools built for small landlords were not designed to handle this. The liv.rent enterprise plan was.

Why enterprise landlords need a purpose-built platform in 2026

The rise of purpose-built rental supply and what it means for vacancy competition

Canada’s rental construction boom has changed the competitive landscape for multi-unit operators. According to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) Spring 2026 Housing Supply Report, the number of rental units under construction in 2025 was nearly double the 10-year average, with rental starts reaching record highs in Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, Halifax, and Montreal. The CMHC 2025 Rental Market Report found that Canada’s national purpose-built vacancy rate rose to 3.1%, up from 2.2% in 2024. More supply and softer market conditions mean that enterprise landlords can no longer rely on tight conditions to carry their lease-up timelines.

Why manual processes fail at portfolio scale

When an enterprise operator manages ten buildings across two or three provinces, manual listing updates, inconsistent screening, and email-based document workflows create compounding inefficiencies. A leasing coordinator updating listings on five platforms after a vacancy opens is a structural problem, as is a property manager in Toronto who cannot quickly access a tenant’s application from a building in Calgary. These are the default outcomes of piecing together tools that were never designed for cross-provincial, high-volume operations.

The operational gap between small landlord tools and true enterprise needs

Most rental platforms are built for the individual landlord managing one to five units. They lack centralized reporting, multi-user access controls, API integration, and automated syndication at portfolio scale. The gap between a basic listing platform and a true enterprise solution has real costs: longer vacancy periods, slower screening, inconsistent lease documentation, and manual data entry that drives unnecessary overhead.

How enterprise landlords can use liv.rent to manage multi-unit buildings across Canada: platform overview

What the liv.rent enterprise plan includes and who it is built for

The liv.rent enterprise plan is designed for REITs, large property management companies, multifamily operators, and brokerages managing hundreds of units across multiple Canadian properties. It includes centralized automations, team user management with role-specific access, API and webhook integrations, automated listing syndication, and a dedicated account manager for onboarding and support. This is a distinct tier from the standard Growth and Business plans, built specifically for the demands of large portfolios.

How the centralized dashboard works for multi-property portfolios

The landlord dashboard and digital tools available to enterprise users give operators a unified view of applicant counts per listing, active leases, rent collection status, and team activity across every building in their portfolio. A regional property manager can see the full picture from a single account, regardless of whether the buildings are in Vancouver, Toronto, or Edmonton.

Setting up team access and user permissions across buildings

Enterprise accounts allow teams to assign role-specific access so that a leasing agent in one city sees only what they need, while a portfolio director has visibility across everything. This structure is essential for protecting tenant data under PIPEDA, Canada’s federal private sector privacy law, and is not available on standard plans.

Automated tenant screening across a large Canadian rental portfolio

How liv.rent’s Trust Score and ID verification work at enterprise volume

liv.rent’s screening tools, including the Trust Score, Equifax-powered credit checks, ID verification, and the Detailed Risk Assessment, process high volumes of applications consistently across an entire portfolio. Every applicant goes through the same verification process regardless of which building they applied to, producing a standardized, comparable profile for each candidate.

Managing simultaneous applications without inbox overload

All applications from every listing in an enterprise portfolio feed into a single centralized dashboard. A leasing team managing applications across multiple buildings can filter, compare, and prioritize candidates without searching through email threads or switching between systems, particularly valuable during seasonal lease-up periods when multiple vacancies open at once.

Why verified tenant pools matter more in a softening market

Canada’s national purpose-built vacancy rate rose to 3.1% in 2025, giving renters more choice and making it harder for landlords to fill units quickly on reputation alone. liv.rent’s tenant pool consists of ID-verified users who have completed their renter profile, giving enterprise teams access to a higher-quality applicant base from the first day a listing goes live. For a full overview of how to screen tenants effectively, liv.rent’s screening guide covers the process end to end.

Multi-channel listing syndication for faster lease-ups at scale

How automated syndication to Facebook Marketplace, Kijiji, and Zumper works

Enterprise users on liv.rent can push listings automatically to Facebook Marketplace, Kijiji, Craigslist, Zumper, and rental groups in real time, without manual re-entry on each platform. When a vacancy opens, the listing goes live across all connected channels simultaneously. When details change, every platform updates automatically. A listing only needs to be written well once; for guidance on that, liv.rent’s post on how to write an attractive rental ad covers the full approach.

Why enterprise landlords save up to 12 hours per week with real-time feed automation

According to multifamily.liv.rent, automated Facebook Marketplace syndication saves enterprise teams up to 12 hours every week. That time reclaimed from manual platform updates translates directly into faster responses to applicants and shorter vacancy periods.

Using boosted listings and expanded distribution for hard-to-fill vacancies

Boosted listings on liv.rent run continuously and deliver 300%+ more exposure and conversions, according to multifamily.liv.rent . Enterprise users also get RentSync integration, which distributes listings across multiple rental websites from one central source. Enterprise clients on the platform see 65% more tenant enquiries and 35% faster tenant conversions overall.

Digital leases, addendums, and rent collection for multi-unit operations

Creating province-specific standard leases and custom addendums at scale

liv.rent builds B.C. and Ontario standard lease agreements directly into the platform, each aligned with the applicable provincial tenancy legislation. Enterprise users can create custom addendums vetted by a team of lawyers and apply them consistently across all buildings without rebuilding documents for each jurisdiction.

How digital rent collection works across hundreds of units

Digital rent collection on liv.rent accepts credit card and UnionPay, with centralized tracking of payments across every unit in a portfolio. Enterprise operators can monitor income and flag outstanding payments from a single view, and automated reminders reduce manual follow-up for leasing teams.

Storing and accessing lease documents securely across your team

All signed contracts, addendums, and tenant communications are stored in a secure digital filing cabinet accessible by any authorized team member on any device. Documents carry a unique contract ID verifiable at verify.liv.rent, and under Canadian law, these digital contracts carry the same binding power as paper agreements.

Enterprise integrations: connecting liv.rent to your existing property management stack

API, webhook, and XML feed options for large property management companies

Enterprise users on liv.rent get access to developer APIs, webhooks, and XML automated feeds, available exclusively at the enterprise tier. These connect liv.rent to internal reporting dashboards, CRMs, and property management software, including Buildium and Yardi, so data flows automatically without manual re-entry. A dedicated account manager guides setup.

Connecting liv.rent to your CRM, PMS, and internal reporting tools

Applicant data, lease status, payment records, and team activity can all feed into existing workflows through the API layer. Multiple integrations can run simultaneously to handle different operational functions, and Zapier-based automation workflows are also supported for teams that need custom triggers and actions.

How RentSync and other partner integrations extend your distribution network

RentSync integration distributes listings across multiple rental websites from a single central source, extending reach beyond what any single syndication channel provides. Listings imported through Rhenti and Leasey.AI are also supported, allowing teams already using those tools to bring their inventory into liv.rent automatically.

Navigating Canadian rental law compliance across multiple provinces

Key provincial differences enterprise landlords must manage in BC, Ontario, and Alberta

Enterprise landlords operating across multiple provinces face meaningfully different regulatory requirements in each jurisdiction. B.C.’s Residential Tenancy Act requires three full months’ written notice before a rent increase takes effect, with a 2026 cap of 2.3%. Ontario’s Residential Tenancies Act sets the 2026 rent increase guideline at 2.1%, with 90 days’ written notice required; units first occupied after November 15, 2018 are exempt from the cap entirely. Alberta has no rent increase cap; landlords may raise rent by any amount with three full months’ written notice for monthly tenancies, but increases cannot occur during a fixed-term lease. These rules are not interchangeable, and applying the wrong standard in the wrong province creates real liability.

How liv.rent helps enterprise teams stay compliant with standard lease requirements

liv.rent’s province-specific lease templates give enterprise teams a compliant starting point in each jurisdiction. Custom addendums vetted by lawyers can be standardized across all buildings in a given province, so every new tenancy begins on the same legal footing. Teams managing portfolios under Canadian rental laws across multiple jurisdictions can reference liv.rent’s current rent reports to make informed pricing decisions within each provincial cap.

Recent regulatory changes affecting multi-unit operators in 2026

The compliance environment for Toronto operators has tightened considerably. Toronto’s Rental Renovation Licence Bylaw (By-law 53-2025), which came into effect July 31, 2025, requires landlords to obtain a municipal licence before requiring tenants to vacate for renovations, with fines of up to $100,000 for serious violations such as evicting tenants without completing the work, according to the City of Toronto and confirmed by CBC News. The Toronto Multi-Tenant Houses Bylaw amendments approved by City Council in December 2025 came into force February 15, 2026, introducing updated licensing and operational requirements for multi-tenant house operators. Both changes signal an actively shifting compliance environment where having current, jurisdiction-specific documentation is not optional.

How to get started with liv.rent’s enterprise plan: next steps for multi-unit operators

Who qualifies for the liv.rent enterprise plan

The enterprise plan is available to REITs, large property management companies, multifamily operators, and brokerages managing substantial Canadian rental portfolios. It is the right fit for organizations that have outgrown standard plan limitations and need centralized automations, team management, custom integrations, and a dedicated onboarding account manager.

What to expect during enterprise onboarding and setup

Onboarding is guided by a dedicated account manager who works with your team to connect existing systems and configure workflows from day one. Enterprise clients report 65% more tenant enquiries and 35% faster tenant conversions compared to prior workflows, according to multifamily.liv.rent.

How to book a demo and talk to the liv.rent enterprise team

To get started, visit multifamily.liv.rent and contact the liv.rent enterprise team directly. The sales team responds within one to three business days. Enterprise plan pricing is available through direct consultation, tailored to your portfolio’s size and operational needs. No commitment is required to start the conversation.

Frequently asked questions

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Enterprise landlords in 2026 are using digital lease agreements to cut admin costs by automating the full lease lifecycle, from creation and e-signing to renewal tracking and compliance, reducing administrative overhead compared to paper-based processes. Platforms like liv.rent give Canadian portfolio landlords a single dashboard to manage legally compliant digital lease agreements across multiple units and provinces.

What digital lease agreements actually mean for enterprise landlords

From paper chaos to a centralized lease lifecycle

A digital lease agreement is not a PDF attached to an email. For enterprise landlords, it is an end-to-end workflow: template creation, bulk distribution, e-signature collection, secure storage, renewal alerts, and a complete audit trail, all managed from one platform. The difference between emailing a scanned document and running a true lease management system is the difference between a filing cabinet and a searchable, automated database.

Demand for this infrastructure is growing. According to Research and Markets, the global lease management software market is valued at USD $5.02 billion in 2026 and projected to reach USD $6.94 billion by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 8.5%.

How digital lease agreements differ from simple PDF leases

A PDF lease delivered by email has no built-in verification, no signing audit trail, and no automated renewal tracking. A proper digital lease platform captures the signer’s identity, timestamps every action, encrypts the document, and stores a tamper-proof record that can be produced in a dispute. For landlords managing 50 or 500 units, the distinction matters every time a tenancy is contested.

The five components every enterprise-grade digital lease platform must have

A platform that genuinely reduces admin costs for portfolio landlords needs five things: province-specific lease templates that reflect current tenancy law, legally compliant e-signatures with identity verification, centralized storage with search and retrieval, automated critical-date monitoring for renewals and rent increases, and integration with rent collection and tenant screening tools. Platforms missing any of these push compliance work back onto the property manager.

The real admin costs enterprise landlords are trying to eliminate in 2026

Hidden time costs of paper-based lease administration

According to Buildium’s 2025 State of the Property Management Industry report (cited by US Tech Automations), the average property management company spends 4.2 hours per unit per month on administrative tasks. For a 200-unit portfolio, that is 840 hours monthly, the equivalent of five full-time employees working exclusively on paperwork. At $25 per hour, that translates to roughly $252,000 in annual administrative labour costs.

Staff hours lost to manual lease renewals, chasing signatures, and filing

Those hours are not evenly distributed. Lease renewals and tenant communications account for 0.6 hours per unit per month in the same analysis, and the cost of a missed renewal is separate: a single lapsed lease renewal generates between $1,800 and $3,200 in vacancy and re-leasing costs, according to an AppFolio 2025 industry survey cited in the same source. For a 200-unit portfolio with even a 5% slip rate, that is up to $32,000 in avoidable annual losses, entirely independent of labour costs.

How enterprise landlords are using digital lease agreements to cut admin costs in 2026: a cost breakdown

Automating property management workflows eliminates the largest sources of that waste: manual renewal chasing, data re-entry between systems, physical filing, and paper-based signature collection. According to Propertese (June 2025), automation in property management can reduce administrative work by up to 70% and save USD $2,000–$5,000 per property annually once core workflows like rent collection, renewals, and communications are digitized.

How the digital lease agreement workflow actually works at enterprise scale

Automated lease creation using province-specific templates

An enterprise lease workflow begins with a template library: standardized, province-specific agreements that reflect current tenancy law and can be populated with tenant and unit details automatically. Instead of a property manager drafting each lease from scratch, the platform generates the document, applies the correct provincial terms, and routes it for signature.

Ontario landlords are required to use the government-approved Standard Lease for most residential tenancies under the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006. Any compliant platform must be able to produce and e-sign that specific form. In B.C., rent increase notices must use the official RTB-7 form under the Residential Tenancy Act, and any platform that auto-generates renewal packages needs to apply the correct form for each jurisdiction.

Bulk e-signature sending and real-time signing status tracking

Bulk sending allows a property manager to distribute renewal packages to all tenants whose leases expire within a given window simultaneously. Real-time status tracking shows which tenants have signed, which have not, and which need follow-up, replacing a manual spreadsheet with a live dashboard.

Automated renewal alerts, critical date monitoring, and audit trails

Critical-date monitoring tracks every lease expiry, rent increase notice deadline, and inspection requirement across the entire portfolio and alerts the responsible property manager before action is required. In some provinces, failing to give proper notice on time means a lease continues at existing terms by default. The audit trail records every document action from initial send to final countersignature, providing a defensible record in any dispute. Learning how to screen tenants effectively integrates into this workflow, since verified tenant data flows directly into lease creation on platforms built for the full rental lifecycle.

Are digital lease agreements legally valid across Canadian provinces in 2026?

Federal framework: PIPEDA and the Uniform Electronic Commerce Act

Electronic signatures are generally valid and enforceable for documents and contracts in Canada, subject to certain exceptions. The validity of e-signatures is governed by legislation specific to electronic transactions as well as traditional common law principles (OneSpan, 2026). Most provinces have enacted legislation based on the Uniform Electronic Commerce Act (UECA), which gives electronic contracts the same legal status as paper documents for most purposes.

Province-by-province e-signature rules for residential tenancy agreements

Ontario’s Electronic Commerce Act, 2000 recognizes electronic contracts for most purposes. British Columbia’s Electronic Transactions Act provides equivalent recognition. Alberta’s Electronic Transactions Act does the same. Across all three, the legal question is not whether an e-signature was used, but whether the method was reliable: specifically, whether it identifies the signer and reliably associates the signature with the document.

Quebec follows a distinct framework under the Act to Establish a Legal Framework for Information Technology (LCCJTI), which governs electronic documents and signatures separately from the UECA approach used in other provinces. Enterprise landlords with Quebec properties should confirm their platform meets LCCJTI requirements specifically, and note that residential leases in Quebec must be provided in French using the government-mandated Bail obligatoire form.

For a deeper overview of provincial tenancy obligations, see liv.rent’s residential tenancy law guides.

What enterprise landlords must do to ensure enforceability

Four elements determine whether an e-signature will hold up: clear intent to sign, explicit consent to conduct the transaction electronically, a reliable method of associating the signature with the signer, and a reliable method of associating the signature with the document. Platforms that provide identity verification, timestamped audit trails, and encrypted document storage address all four. Landlords should review their platform’s technical documentation against these requirements and seek legal advice for their specific jurisdiction before relying on digitally executed leases in a dispute.

The measurable cost savings enterprise landlords are reporting in 2026

Reducing staff hours per lease: before and after digital adoption

The Buildium 2025 data cited above puts 0.6 hours per unit per month on lease renewals and tenant communications alone. At a 200-unit portfolio and $25 per hour, that is a $36,000 annual line item. Automating that workflow entirely does not eliminate all of those hours, but it compresses the active-management portion significantly, shifting property managers from manual follow-up to exception-handling.

How enterprise landlords are using digital lease agreements to cut admin costs in 2026: ROI benchmarks

According to Forrester’s 2025 Real Estate Operations Report, cited by US Tech Automations (April 2026), property management firms that reach “Level 3” automation (covering leases, payments, and maintenance) see an average ROI of 312% over three years, with break-even typically reached within four to seven months for portfolios above 50 units. These figures come from global industry data and should be treated as directional benchmarks rather than Canadian-specific results.

What to look for when choosing a digital lease platform as an enterprise landlord in Canada

Must-have features for Canadian multi-unit operators

Canadian tenancy rules are provincial, not federal. Ontario caps most rent increases at 2.1% for 2026. B.C. caps increases at 2.3%. Alberta has no rent increase cap. Quebec uses a tribunal-based calculation, with the Tribunal administratif du logement publishing a 3.1% CPI input for 2026. Manitoba caps increases at 1.8% for 2026. (Source: TenantPay, May 2026.) A platform that does not encode these distinctions forces compliance work back onto the property manager.

Beyond compliance, enterprise landlords need bilingual support for Quebec operations, integration with Equifax-powered tenant screening, and multi-user access controls across a portfolio.

Why US-built platforms often fall short for Canadian operators

Canadian reviews of property management software note that US-centric platforms require Canadian landlords to supply their own provincial lease templates and manage compliance details like Ontario LTB forms or provincial rent-increase rules manually (LendCity, January 2026). A platform built around US tenancy norms cannot automatically flag that an Ontario landlord’s proposed rent increase exceeds the 2.1% 2026 guideline, or that a Quebec lease must be issued on the Bail obligatoire form. These are routine compliance requirements on every tenancy.

How liv.rent supports enterprise landlords with province-specific digital leases

liv.rent is purpose-built for the Canadian rental market and supports enterprise landlords with province-specific digital lease agreements, secure e-signatures, Equifax-powered tenant screening, ID verification, and a centralized landlord dashboard. The platform covers the full rental lifecycle from search and screening through contracting and rent collection, on web and mobile. For broader landlord resources covering lease setup, tenant communications, and Canadian regulatory updates, liv.rent’s blog covers the compliance landscape enterprise operators need.

Common mistakes enterprise landlords make when switching to digital lease agreements

Treating a PDF email as a true digital lease

Emailing a PDF to a tenant and receiving a scanned signature back is not a digital lease. It lacks identity verification, a tamper-proof audit trail, and any mechanism for confirming the document was not altered between send and return. In a Landlord and Tenant Board proceeding, a landlord relying on a scanned PDF may face challenges to the document’s integrity that a properly executed e-signature platform would prevent.

Skipping ID verification and audit trail requirements

Identity verification and audit trail logging are the technical foundation of e-signature enforceability under both PIPEDA and provincial electronic transactions legislation. A platform that allows tenants to sign without identity verification, or that does not log the timestamp and document hash for each signing action, may not meet the reliability standard for the signature to be legally binding.

Failing to update templates after provincial law changes

Provincial tenancy law changes regularly. Ontario’s Bill 60 (passed November 2025) changed eviction notice periods and arrears procedures under the Residential Tenancies Act. B.C. updated the notice period for landlord’s own use evictions from two months to three months, effective June 18, 2025. A lease template not updated to reflect current law may not hold up at enforcement. Enterprise landlords should confirm their platform provider updates templates following legislative changes and applies those updates to new leases automatically.

FAQ: digital lease agreements for enterprise landlords in Canada

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Finding the right rental in Montreal takes more than a quick search. With vacancy easing but rents still rising, and scam risk real on unverified platforms, knowing which site to use before you start saves time and money. This guide compares the best rental sites in Montreal for 2026: what each platform does well, where it falls short, and which type of renter or landlord it serves best.

Safest way to search for rentals in Montreal

Montreal’s purpose-built rental vacancy rate reached 2.9% in 2025, up from 1.8% the year before, according to the CMHC 2025 Rental Market Report. The most affordable units remain scarce, and average rents still grew 7.2% that year, driven largely by lease renewals applying the Tribunal administratif du logement’s record-high recommended guideline of 5.9%.

The SPVM has warned publicly about fraudsters advertising apartments they don’t own and requesting e-transfers before a viewing. Starting on a platform with verified landlords reduces that risk from the first search.

How to know which Montreal rental website is best for you

Montreal rentals move fast, and the “best” site depends on your search style

According to liv.rent’s monthly rent report, the average rent for an unfurnished one bedroom unit in Montreal was $1,599 per month as of June 2026, still well below rates in other major Canadian rental markets, making it one of Canada’s strongest major markets for annual rent growth. A student needing a furnished room near Concordia has different requirements than a family looking for a three-bedroom in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, and neither has the same priorities as a landlord filling a new-build condo in Griffintown. The right platform matches your search style: how fast you need to move, how much verification you need, and whether you want a full digital lease workflow or a broad discovery tool.

What we looked for in each platform: inventory, filters, landlord quality, and scam risk

According to CMHC’s Spring 2026 Housing Supply Report, rental construction accounted for more than 80% of all Montreal housing starts in 2025, a record high. Many of those new units are priced at the higher end of the market, making filter quality, neighbourhood coverage, and landlord transparency more valuable than ever for renters trying to sort quickly by price, location, and unit type.

What makes a rental site useful in Montreal?

Best rental sites in Montreal in 2026: where to search safely at each stage

Step 1: Start with verified rental platforms

The SPVM advises renters to verify addresses, reverse-image-search listing photos, and never pay before a viewing. Platforms that verify landlord identity before listings go live remove a significant layer of that risk before the search expands elsewhere.

Step 2: Compare prices on Canadian rental marketplaces:

With the Montreal average at $1,925 per month as of June 2026, national marketplaces like Rentals.ca and Zumper are useful for benchmarking prices across neighbourhoods before committing to a particular area. Renters relocating from other cities will find these platforms especially helpful for building realistic expectations.

Step 2: Compare prices on Canadian rental marketplaces:

The CMHC 2025 Rental Market Report notes that vacancy is highest among newly built units, many of which are professionally managed. Centris, the primary real estate database used by Quebec brokers, and Realtor.ca, backed by the Canadian Real Estate Association’s MLS systems with over 9,600 Greater Montreal listings, are the strongest options for that segment of the market.

Step 4: Use map-based tools to compare neighbourhoods

Average rents vary considerably across Montreal: central boroughs like Ville-Marie and Plateau-Mont-Royal are higher, while Verdun and Hochelaga-Maisonneuve are more affordable. Map-based tools on liv.rent, PadMapper, and Zumper let renters visualize price differences against transit access, which matters in a city where a few metro stops can mean a meaningful rent difference.

Step 5: Use classifieds and social listings carefully

The SPVM reports that Montreal rental scammers typically demand deposits of one or two months’ rent from victims, ranging from $500 to $1,200 per apartment. Classified and social platforms carry high listing volume and can surface budget options unavailable elsewhere, but require independent verification on the renter’s side. Never pay before an in-person viewing. Our guide to rental scams covers the full checklist.

Best rental sites in Montreal in 2026

Below is a platform-by-platform breakdown for renters and landlords actively searching Montreal’s market as of mid-2026.

liv.rent

For renters: liv.rent verifies landlord identity before listings go live. Renters can search by neighbourhood, price, and unit type, message landlords directly, submit applications, and sign leases digitally. The platform publishes detailed monthly Montreal rent reports, and listing alerts notify renters when matching properties are posted.

For landlords: The Essentials plan is free with unlimited listings. The Growth plan ($48/month billed annually) adds Equifax-powered tenant screening reports, Facebook Marketplace syndication, and lease protection addendums. The full workflow covers verified listings, digital lease agreements, and rent collection in one place. More on how to list a property for rent on liv.rent.

Limitations: Inventory in some Montreal sub-markets may be smaller than on national classified platforms.

Rentals.ca

For renters: A national rental marketplace with broad Montreal inventory across apartments, condos, townhouses, and single rooms, with a map-based interface. Useful for price comparison and early-stage discovery.

For landlords: Good listing exposure to a national audience, including renters relocating from other provinces.

Limitations: More listing-focused than workflow-focused. Applications, screening, and lease signing happen outside the platform.

Louer.ca

For renters: One of the largest Quebec-focused rental platforms, with filters for budget, bedroom count, furnished or unfurnished status, and pet policy. Carries inventory from smaller landlords who may not list on national platforms, and is a practical choice for renters who prefer a French-first interface.

For landlords: Reaches a Quebec-based audience and is an established listing channel for individual landlords alongside Centris and DuProprio.

Limitations: Primarily listing-focused, without integrated application, screening, or lease tools.

DuProprio

For renters: Quebec’s leading commission-free real estate and rental platform, drawing over four million visits per month and operating exclusively within the province. Renters will find direct-owner listings across Montreal for apartments, condos, and houses. Because landlords list without a broker, renters often connect with property owners directly.

For landlords: No commission payable. Landlords purchase a listing package and gain access to professional photography support, virtual tour tools, and a large local Quebec audience. One of the most recognized owner-direct platforms in the province.

Limitations: Rentals are a secondary offering to the core property sales model. Built-in application tools, digital leasing, and tenant screening are not part of the platform.

Centris

For renters: The primary real estate listing database used by Quebec-licensed brokers. Carries formal listings for condos, multi-unit buildings, and professionally managed rental apartments. The most complete database for broker-represented Montreal inventory.

For landlords: Accessed through OACIQ-certified Quebec brokers. Best suited for professionally managed or higher-value units.

Limitations: Individual landlords cannot list without a broker. Not suited for small, independent landlords renting one or two units directly.

Realtor.ca

For renters: Operated by the Canadian Real Estate Association, with over 9,600 rental listings in the Greater Montreal area. Nationally recognized, MLS-backed, with neighbourhood search and map tools.

For landlords: Listings are submitted by licensed agents. Landlords working with an agent benefit from MLS-level exposure. Not a self-service platform.

Limitations: Broker-dependent. Application and lease workflows happen outside the platform.

Kijiji Montréal

For renters: High listing volume with more budget options and direct-landlord posts than broker-heavy platforms. The SPVM has documented scams on classified platforms requesting deposits of $500–$1,200 before any viewing. Every listing requires independent verification before any money changes hands.

For landlords: No listing fees, broad reach, practical for individual landlords with one or two units. Lead quality and screening are the landlord’s responsibility.

Limitations: No verification, screening, or lease tools. Higher scam risk than dedicated platforms.

Zumper

For renters: Active Montreal listings and reliable rent data. Its June 2026 data lists the Montreal average up 6% year-over-year, making it a strong price-comparison resource alongside a discovery tool.

For landlords: Additional listing exposure to a broad national and North American audience.

Limitations: Discovery-focused. Landlords need separate tools for applications, screening, and leases.

PadMapper

For renters: Aggregates listings from multiple sources with a map-based interface well-suited to Montreal’s neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood price variation. Useful for visualizing price against transit access before going deeper on individual listings.

For landlords: A supplementary discovery channel for renters using map-based tools.

Limitations: Best used alongside a platform that handles applications and screening directly.

Facebook Marketplace

For renters: Surfaces rooms, sublets, and short-term furnished options that don’t always appear on formal platforms. CTV News has reported Quebec police warnings about online rental scams requesting e-transfer payments in advance. Requires rigorous due diligence: in-person viewings, independent address verification, and identity confirmation before any payment.

For landlords: Large local user base, quick informal posts. Not structured for formal lease workflows.

Limitations: No verification, screening, or lease tools. Higher scam exposure than dedicated platforms.

Montreal rental site comparison table

Which site is best for your situation?

Most renters and landlords in Montreal will use more than one platform. The right starting point depends on what you’re looking for:

• Students and newcomers should start on a verified platform, then use map tools to narrow by neighbourhood and transit access.
• Families looking for two- or three-bedroom units will find Rentals.ca and Centris useful for inventory, and liv.rent for the full lease workflow.
• Budget-conscious renters can use Kijiji or DuProprio for direct-owner discovery, but must verify every listing and never pay before an in-person viewing.
• French-first renters seeking locally focused Quebec inventory will find Louer.ca and DuProprio well-suited.
• Landlords without broker representation will find DuProprio or liv.rent more practical than Centris or Realtor.ca.

Best rental sites by property type for Montreal landlords

Montreal neighborhoods and which rental website perform well

How to avoid rental scams in Montreal

The SPVM advises renters to verify addresses independently, reverse-image-search listing photos, and never pay before an in-person viewing. Quebec’s housing tribunal and the RCMP recommend verifying landlord identity through government-issued ID, confirming lease paperwork includes proper landlord details, and avoiding untracked e-transfer payments.

Red flags for renters

• Rent noticeably below the neighbourhood average
• Pressure to send one or two months’ rent by e-transfer before any viewing
• Excuses for why the unit cannot be seen in person
• A vague or unconfirmable listing address
• Listing photos that appear in multiple ads or reverse-image-search to a different property
• A landlord who refuses to provide their name, contact details, or proof of ownership

The SPVM reports that Montreal rental scammers typically demand deposits of $500–$1,200 per apartment before any viewing.

Red flags for landlords

CTV News has reported warnings from the Quebec Landlords Association about fraudsters posing as new building owners and asking tenants to redirect rent to fake e-transfer accounts. Watch for:

• Applicants proposing unusual payment methods
• Identity documents that appear inconsistent or cannot be cross-referenced
• Requests to bypass the normal application and screening process
• Unsolicited instructions to change payment details by email without direct management confirmation

Platforms with built-in tenant screening and digital lease signing create a verified paper trail that makes fraudulent activity harder to pursue.

FAQs

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