What is the average rent in Winnipeg in August 2026?
Winnipeg’s rents pulled back in August 2026, snapping a three-month climb. According to liv.rent’s August 2026 Winnipeg Rent Report, the average asking rent for an unfurnished one-bedroom fell to $1,338, down 1.16% from July, and five of the six neighbourhoods tracked in the report posted lower rents. Here’s where the drop hit hardest, and what Manitoba’s 1.8% rent increase guideline means for tenants and landlords watching the shift.
The average asking rent for an unfurnished one-bedroom apartment in Winnipeg dropped to $1,338 in August 2026, a decrease of $15, or 1.16%, from July, according to liv.rent’s August 2026 Winnipeg Rent Report. It’s the first month-over-month decline the city has seen since April, breaking a run that carried the citywide average from $1,304 in April up to $1,353 in July.
Even with the pullback, Winnipeg’s one-bedroom average remains above where it started the spring, so August reads more as a cooling than a reversal. The shift lines up with a broader national trend: CMHC’s June 2026 mid-year rental market update found that increased supply and slower demand had eased asking rents, moving Canada’s major rental markets toward more balanced conditions overall, though conditions still vary by building age and price segment.
Which Winnipeg neighbourhoods saw rents fall the most in August 2026?
Of the six neighbourhoods tracked in this month’s liv.rent Winnipeg Rent Report, five recorded lower unfurnished one-bedroom rents in August. St. Boniface was the only exception, edging up 1.37% from July even as prices eased elsewhere.
South Winnipeg led the decline
South Winnipeg saw the steepest monthly drop, down 2.45% to an average of $1,369, which also makes it the most expensive tracked neighbourhood for a one-bedroom this month. North End followed with a 1.72% decline to $1,316, and Winnipeg Downtown eased 1.63% to $1,334. St. Boniface, despite its increase, remained the most affordable of the four at $1,301, a gap of just $68 between Winnipeg’s priciest and cheapest tracked neighbourhoods for a one-bedroom in August.
| Neighbourhood | Unfurnished one-bedroom rent, August 2026 | Change from July |
| South Winnipeg | $1,369 | Down 2.45% |
| North End | $1,316 | Down 1.72% |
| Winnipeg Downtown | $1,334 | Down 1.63% |
| St. Boniface | $1,301 | Up 1.37% |
Winnipeg Downtown’s decline spans every unit size
Winnipeg Downtown stood out for a different reason: it was the only tracked neighbourhood where rents fell across all three unit sizes, not just one-bedrooms. Its two-bedroom average dropped 5.52% to $1,836, and its three-bedroom average fell 5.99% to $1,981, the largest three-bedroom decline in the city. Two-bedroom rents softened in every tracked neighbourhood this month, led by a 6.23% drop in North End. Three-bedroom rents were more mixed: St. Boniface posted the largest increase, up 7.60%, even as its own one-bedroom rents also climbed. Renters comparing markets can find the same month-over-month breakdowns for other cities in liv.rent’s rent-report archive.
What else is shaping Winnipeg’s rental market this month?
West Broadway’s rent increase fight
While the citywide numbers moved in renters’ favour, one address became the centre of a very different story in August. CBC News reported that tenants at 303 Furby St. in West Broadway are fighting a proposed 78% rent increase from landlord Wingspan Properties that would take a bachelor suite from $533 to $948 a month. As of CBC’s report, no Residential Tenancies Branch application had been filed and no hearing had been scheduled, meaning the increase could not take effect until approved. The dispute is a useful illustration of how Manitoba’s above-guideline increase process actually works, covered in more detail below.
Furnished units aren’t always pricier
One of the more counterintuitive findings in this month’s report is that furnished units aren’t always the costlier option. According to liv.rent’s August 2026 Winnipeg Rent Report, a furnished one-bedroom in North End averaged $906, well below the $1,316 unfurnished average in the same neighbourhood. South Winnipeg showed the same pattern: $863 furnished versus $1,369 unfurnished. Winnipeg Downtown followed the more typical script, with furnished one-bedrooms asking $1,606, about 20% above its $1,334 unfurnished average. Renters open to a furnished unit may want to compare both categories in a neighbourhood before assuming furnished automatically costs more.
What is Manitoba’s rent increase guideline for 2026?
The 1.8% guideline, and who’s exempt
Manitoba’s Residential Tenancies Branch sets an annual rent increase guideline based on the percentage change in the province’s average annual Consumer Price Index. For 2026, that guideline is 1.8%, effective January 1, 2026, according to the province’s official guideline page. In most circumstances, a landlord can raise rent only once every 12 months and must give tenants at least three months’ written notice before an increase takes effect.
Some units are exempt from the guideline: those already renting for $1,670 or more a month, various types of social housing, units owned and operated by or for provincial, municipal, or federal governments, units in buildings first occupied after March 2005, not-for-profit life lease units, cooperative units, and approved rehabilitated rental units. A landlord who wants to raise rent beyond the guideline has to apply to the Residential Tenancies Branch for an above-guideline increase and show that the standard guideline won’t cover cost increases they’ve actually incurred, the same process now playing out in West Broadway. Renters can find a broader look at how these rules compare province to province on liv.rent’s rental-laws hub.
What tenants can do if they disagree
Tenants who believe an increase is unfair, whether it falls within the guideline or comes through an above-guideline application, have a formal path to push back. A written objection has to reach the Residential Tenancies Branch at least 60 days before the increase is scheduled to take effect, and either party can appeal a Branch decision to the Residential Tenancies Commission within 14 days of receiving it, according to liv.rent’s guide to Manitoba rent increase rules.
Is Winnipeg a renter’s market right now?
Winnipeg’s own numbers this month point toward renters gaining some leverage. August’s decline was the first monthly drop since April, and it followed three straight months of rising rents, meaning the market had been tightening before it eased. Whether that continues into fall is the real question for anyone weighing a move or a lease renewal.
Vacancy near a balanced market
Vacancy is one of the clearest signals of how much room renters have to negotiate. Winnipeg’s purpose-built rental vacancy rate was an estimated 2.8% as of October 2025, according to CMHC’s most recent annual Rental Market Report, just below the 3% level sometimes used as a rough guide for a balanced market. That fits with the agency’s June 2026 description of Canada’s major rental markets easing overall.
Put together, the picture for Winnipeg renters in August 2026 is one of gradually improving conditions rather than a dramatic swing. For renters, the takeaway is to compare a listing’s asking rent against this month’s neighbourhood averages, check how long the unit has been listed, and ask whether there’s room to negotiate on rent or move-in incentives. liv.rent’s renter resources hub covers more on negotiating and avoiding rental scams while searching.
What August’s numbers mean for Winnipeg landlords
Pricing a listing in a cooling market
For landlords, a softening market changes the pricing conversation. Listing above the neighbourhood average can increase the risk of a longer vacancy, especially in a month where five of six tracked neighbourhoods saw rents fall, so it’s worth checking a unit’s asking rent against this month’s neighbourhood figures before renewing a listing. A clear, well-presented listing also matters more when renters have more options to compare, and liv.rent’s guide to writing an attractive rental ad covers what tends to draw stronger applicants.
The above-guideline increase process, from the landlord’s side
If a landlord’s costs genuinely outpace the 1.8% guideline, whether from taxes, insurance, or major repairs, the Residential Tenancies Branch is the only path to a larger increase. Landlords seeking an above-guideline increase must apply to the Branch and show the operating or capital costs that justify the request; simply notifying a tenant of a larger increase isn’t enough to make it take effect. If the guideline applies to the rental unit and a landlord applies for an above-guideline increase, a tenant may still end the tenancy with two rental payment periods’ notice, from the date they learn of the application until 14 days after the Branch or Residential Tenancies Commission issues a decision, according to liv.rent’s guide to Manitoba rent increase rules.
The West Broadway case also shows why tenants and landlords should confirm above-guideline increase steps directly with the Residential Tenancies Branch before assuming a proposed increase will stand. This article is general information only and is not legal advice. On the pricing side, liv.rent’s free rent estimate tool weighs a listing against current market data, and Trust Score gives landlords a credit summary, risk assessment, and income verification for prospective tenants, useful context in a market where renters have more choices.
What is the cheapest neighbourhood to rent in Winnipeg right now?
St. Boniface was the most affordable of the six neighbourhoods tracked in liv.rent’s August 2026 Winnipeg Rent Report, with an average unfurnished one-bedroom rent of $1,301, despite being the only neighbourhood where rents rose (up 1.37%) from July.
Can my Winnipeg landlord raise rent more than 1.8% in 2026?
For units covered by Manitoba’s rent increase guideline, a landlord needs approval from the Residential Tenancies Branch before an above-guideline increase can take effect. The landlord must apply and show that the guideline amount won’t cover cost increases they’ve incurred.
Are Winnipeg rents going down in 2026?
In August 2026, asking rents fell across most of the neighbourhoods tracked in liv.rent’s monthly data, with five of six posting lower unfurnished one-bedroom rents, the first monthly decline since April.
How do I object to a rent increase above the guideline in Manitoba?
Submit a written objection to the Residential Tenancies Branch at least 60 days before the increase is scheduled to take effect. If either party disagrees with the Branch’s decision, they can appeal to the Residential Tenancies Commission within 14 days of receiving it.
Which Winnipeg neighbourhood has the highest rent right now?
South Winnipeg had the highest average unfurnished one-bedroom rent among the neighbourhoods liv.rent tracks in August 2026, at $1,369 a month, though it also saw the steepest monthly decline, down 2.45% from July.
What is the Manitoba rent increase guideline for 2026?
Manitoba’s Residential Tenancies Branch set the 2026 rent increase guideline at 1.8%, effective January 1, 2026, based on the province’s Consumer Price Index. It applies to most residential rental units, though some are exempt, including units already renting for $1,670 or more a month and units in buildings first occupied after March 2005.
Are furnished apartments more expensive than unfurnished ones in Winnipeg?
Not always. In liv.rent’s August 2026 Winnipeg data, furnished one-bedroom units in North End and South Winnipeg had lower average asking rents than unfurnished one-bedrooms in the same neighbourhoods, while Winnipeg Downtown followed the more typical pattern of furnished units costing about 20% more.
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