Upon first glimpse, the best neighbourhood for young professionals may be Kitsilano. You get Kits Beach, two busy shopping streets and the Burrard Bridge into downtown, and you pay more for it. CMHC's October 2025 survey put the average one-bedroom in its two Kitsilano/Point Grey areas at $1,914 to $1,923 a month, against $1,807 across Metro Vancouver.
Is Kitsilano the best neighbourhood for young professionals?
It can be, if you want Kits Beach and the shops along West 4th Avenue and West Broadway, and you can pay more than the Metro Vancouver average. It isn’t the cheapest choice, and rapid transit is due at Arbutus Street when the Broadway Subway opens, scheduled for fall 2027. We don’t rank neighbourhoods here, so best means a good fit for renters in their 20s and 30s early in a career. We judge Kitsilano on what you’d pay, how you’d get around and which buildings you can rent in.
What it costs
CMHC’s October 2025 survey splits the area in two: the average one-bedroom was $1,914 a month in Kitsilano/Point Grey North and $1,923 in the South area. The Vancouver row in that survey covers all of Metro Vancouver, not only the city, and averaged $1,807. That’s $107 to $116 more each month, or about $1,300 to $1,400 a year.
Two limits apply to those numbers. CMHC groups Kitsilano with Point Grey, a zone its fall 2024 report describes as running west of South Granville/Oak along 16th Avenue to the University Endowment Lands. And the survey covers only privately initiated rental buildings with at least three units, so rented condo suites aren’t in it.
Asking rents run higher. liv.rent's October 2026 Metro Vancouver rent report puts the average unfurnished one-bedroom asking rent in Kitsilano at $2,534 a month, against $2,329 across the City of Vancouver. The city figure is down 2.6% from October 2025. A survey average and an asking rent measure different things, so the gap between them isn’t a rent increase.
What you get
The City's Kitsilano page points to Kits Beach, which it says international travel magazines have named one of the "top 10 best city beaches in the world". It also describes extensive restaurants and retail along West 4th Avenue and West Broadway.
You won’t be the only renter: the City’s 2025 social indicators profile says 58% of Kitsilano households rented in 2021, against 54% across Vancouver.
Who it doesn’t suit
If rent is your first filter, Mount Pleasant costs less. CMHC’s October 2025 survey put the average one-bedroom there at $1,641, about $273 to $282 below Kitsilano.
The market is tighter here too. CMHC's October 2025 survey found a 1.7% vacancy rate in the Kitsilano/Point Grey zone, against 3.7% across Metro Vancouver. That means fewer empty suites for you to choose from.
Where is Kitsilano, and which streets does this guide cover?
Kitsilano, known locally as Kits, is a neighbourhood and one of the City of Vancouver’s 22 local areas, which the City’s open data also calls local planning areas. The City says it runs along the south shore of English Bay between Granville Island and Point Grey. Its local area boundary data, which follows street centrelines, puts Kitsilano roughly between Burrard Street and Alma Street, from the water south to West 16th Avenue.
We used that line to place the seven buildings you’ll read about below, and all have addresses inside it, from Vanier Park south to West 12th Avenue. The City’s history of the area begins with the stretch from Burrard to Alma streets, and says Kitsilano wasn’t fully developed south to 16th Avenue until the late 1940s. Its social indicators profile adds that the 22 local area lines don’t always match how residents see their neighbourhoods.
How do you commute from Kitsilano?
You’ll have the Burrard Bridge, buses along West 4th Avenue and West Broadway, and from fall 2027 the Broadway Subway’s end of the line at Arbutus Street. In the 2021 Census, Kitsilano residents were more likely than Vancouver residents overall to walk or cycle to work.
The City’s profile puts it at 15% walking and 10% cycling in Kitsilano, against 13% and 5% citywide, with 20% taking transit against 23%. It also says a higher share of Kitsilano residents had commutes of 0 to 15 minutes, and that 2021 patterns were shaped by the pandemic.
If you bike, the Burrard Bridge crosses False Creek into downtown. The City’s 2025 Transportation Snapshot names it and Beach Avenue as two of the city’s busiest cycling routes.
If you’re taking the bus, TransLink’s 84 runs between VCC-Clark Station and UBC, with stops on West 4th Avenue at Burrard, Yew, Macdonald and Alma. The 99 B-Line runs between UBC and Commercial-Broadway Station, with eastbound stops on West Broadway at Alma, Macdonald, Yew and Granville.
The Broadway Subway extends the Millennium Line from VCC-Clark Station to Arbutus Street. The Province’s September 21, 2026 release says it’s scheduled to open for passenger service in fall 2027, and that the ride from VCC-Clark to Arbutus Station will take 11 minutes.
Arbutus is where the line ends. The project says you’ll transfer there to the 99 B-Line to reach UBC, and that Arbutus Station will have a bike parkade and easy access to the Arbutus Greenway.
Which seven rental buildings are worth a look in Kitsilano?
You’ll find seven rentals here, from a six-storey building at West 4th and Macdonald to a 15-storey tower beside Vanier Park. What follows is what each building’s owner or developer says about it. We haven’t quoted rents, because each landlord sets its own and they change suite by suite. As of October 2026, InterRent’s page for 2040 York listed no available suites, and Third Space’s page marked Fourth + Mac as fully leased.
| Building | Address | Run by | One confirmed fact |
| Parkview Towers | 1450 Chestnut St | Whitehall Investments | 15-storey rental residences with a pool, next to Vanier Park |
| Kits Walk | 2075 W 12th Ave | Strand | 48 pet-friendly one- to three-bedroom rental homes at 12th and Arbutus |
| Neighbour on 4th | 2908 W 4th Ave | Orr Development | Six-storey mass timber building with 54 suites over a ground-floor shop |
| Fourth + Mac | 1960 Macdonald St | Third Space | Six storeys with 99 rental homes above ground-level retail |
| The Robert | 2525 Carnarvon St | Orr Development | Five storeys with 70 suites, from studios to three-bedrooms |
| Cypress Court | 1850 W 8th Ave | Orr Development | Four storeys with 41 one- and two-bedroom suites |
| 2040 York | 2040 York Ave | InterRent | 54 suites in a wood-frame building (InterRent's January 2021 purchase release) |
What do the owners and developers say about each building?
Their owners or developers list all seven as rentals, so you’d deal with the company that runs the building. Three are Orr Development buildings, listed on Orr’s own site. Here’s what each one says.
Parkview Towers: 15 storeys by Vanier Park
Parkview Towers' own site calls the building 15-storey rental residences next to Vanier Park, with a pool for residents. It says the building is "steps to Kits Beach", a marketing line that isn’t a measured distance.
Kits Walk: 48 homes at 12th and Arbutus
Strand describes Kits Walk as a collection of only 48 pet-friendly one-, two- and three-bedroom rental homes at West 12th Avenue and Arbutus Street. Its amenities include a lounge with a kitchenette, a dog wash station, a secure bike room and a children’s play area.
The three Orr Development buildings
Neighbour on 4th at 2908 West 4th Avenue has studios and two-bedrooms, each with a private balcony and in-suite laundry. Orr says the building is pet friendly, up to eight paws, and has a rooftop amenity space.
The Robert at 2525 Carnarvon Street has studios to three-bedrooms and, Orr says, LEED Gold certification. Cypress Court at 1850 West 8th Avenue has common laundry on each floor. Orr calls both cat friendly, up to eight paws. All three Orr buildings list underground parking and bike lockers, with fees.
Fourth + Mac: six storeys at West 4th and Macdonald
Third Space says Fourth + Mac has studio, one- and two-bedroom homes. Its highlights include a rooftop patio, a co-working space, a dog wash, bike storage and two levels of underground parking. The building is pet friendly.
2040 York: a smaller wood-frame building
InterRent’s January 2021 release on its Metro Vancouver purchase with Crestpoint listed 2040 York Avenue as a 54-suite wood-frame building in Kitsilano. Its community page lists balconies, an elevator, bicycle storage, storage lockers and a laundry facility.
What new rental homes are coming near Kitsilano’s transit?
If you’re planning a move in the next few years, two big rental projects are in play. One is under construction beside the future Arbutus Station, and one has started welcoming tenants at the south end of the Burrard Street Bridge. They aren’t among the seven, but they show where new supply is heading.
TransLink held a groundbreaking on July 29, 2026 for a 31-storey tower at 2096 West Broadway and 2560-2576 Arbutus Street, Daily Hive reported. The site sits immediately south of the future Arbutus Station. The tower is planned to have 256 rental homes, 209 at market rent and 47 below market, and is expected to be finished in 2029.
At the Squamish Nation’s Senakw, Daily Hive reported in May 2026 that the first tenants were moving into Tower 1. That tower has 333 market rental homes and 67 below-market homes. The first phase is set to reach roughly 1,400 rental homes once Towers 2 and 3 are ready.
What do B.C.’s 2026 and 2027 rent rules mean for you?
B.C. limits how much your rent can rise each year: 2.3% in 2026 and 2.2% in 2027, according to the Province on a page last updated August 27, 2026. A landlord must give you at least three full months’ written notice on Form RTB-7, and rent can rise only once every 12 months. This is general information, not legal advice.
If you rent
A valid notice shows the exact dollar amount and the date the increase takes effect. You don’t have to pay an increase above the limit, or one without proper notice. If you’ve already paid too much, you can deduct the overpayment from future rent as long as you explain why in writing. If you and your landlord can’t settle it, you can apply for dispute resolution.
If you are a landlord
Your 12-month clock runs from when the rent was set or last lawfully increased. It carries over to a new landlord, or to a new tenant after a sublet or assignment. You can’t round the increase up. Going above the limit takes the tenant’s voluntary written agreement, showing the dollar amount, the date, any conditions and their signature. Our B.C. rent increase rules and B.C. tenancy law overview cover more.
Featured on liv.rent
Five more Kitsilano buildings with liv.rent pages belong to Concert Properties’ Arbutus Walk community. Concert lists each on its completed condominiums page. Its history page says Arbutus Walk has 654 condominium homes on six acres in Kitsilano. Because Concert built these as condominiums, a suite that’s for rent here is offered by its owner, so rents and terms vary suite by suite.
The Carlings at 2161 West 12th Avenue is one of two four-storey lowrises, finished in 1997.
Ansonia at 2268 Redbud Lane is a six-storey building in a brownstone style, finished in 1998.
Savona at 2175 Salal Drive is a four-storey lowrise with 103 condominium homes, finished in 1999.
Zydeco at 2768 Cranberry Drive has 70 condominiums and was finished in 2001.
Tropez at 2263 Redbud Lane is a four-storey building finished in 2002.
If you’re comparing neighbourhoods, our B.C. neighbourhood guides have more to look at, and our rental buildings near UBC guide covers the other end of the 99 B-Line.
Is Kitsilano a good neighbourhood for young professionals?
It can be if you want Kits Beach and the shops along West 4th Avenue and West Broadway, and you can pay more than the Metro Vancouver average. CMHC’s October 2025 survey put Kitsilano one-bedrooms at $1,914 to $1,923 a month, against $1,807 across Metro Vancouver. The Broadway Subway is scheduled to reach Arbutus Street in fall 2027.
How much is rent in Kitsilano?
CMHC’s October 2025 survey put the average one-bedroom at $1,914 a month in its Kitsilano/Point Grey North area and $1,923 in the South area. liv.rent‘s October 2026 report puts the average unfurnished one-bedroom asking rent at $2,534 in Kitsilano and $2,329 across the City of Vancouver. Each landlord sets the rent for a specific suite.
How do you commute from Kitsilano?
The Burrard Bridge crosses False Creek, and the City calls it one of the city’s busiest cycling routes. TransLink’s 84 stops on West 4th Avenue and the 99 B-Line stops on West Broadway. In the 2021 Census, 15% of Kitsilano commuters walked and 10% cycled, against 13% and 5% citywide.
When does the Broadway Subway reach Kitsilano?
The Province’s September 21, 2026 release says the Broadway Subway is scheduled to open for passenger service in fall 2027. It extends the Millennium Line from VCC-Clark Station to Arbutus Street, and the ride between them will take 11 minutes. At Arbutus you transfer to the 99 B-Line for UBC.
Which rental buildings are in Kitsilano?
Seven to look at are Parkview Towers, Kits Walk, Neighbour on 4th, Fourth + Mac, The Robert, Cypress Court and 2040 York. Each describes itself as a rental building, run by a developer or owner such as Strand, Orr Development or InterRent. Five Concert Properties condominium buildings in Arbutus Walk also have liv.rent pages.
How much can a landlord raise rent in B.C.?
The Province caps yearly rent increases at 2.3% for 2026 and 2.2% for 2027, on a page updated August 27, 2026. A landlord must give at least three full months’ written notice on Form RTB-7, and rent can rise only once every 12 months. This is general information, not legal advice.
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