Every year, the CMHC releases a Rental Market Report that looks at Canada‘s rental statistics and market changes. This year, they looked at Windsor-Essex. Let’s take a look at some of the highlights of the report. First, let’s take a look at the vacancy rate. Overall, the vacancy rate is down across Canada. However, in Toronto and Vancouver, vacancies have increased.
Vacancy rate declines across Canada
The CMHC Rental Market Report, released annually in October, provides detailed analysis of the rental market in Canada. It takes into account demographic trends, socio-economic conditions, and other factors. The report focuses on all types of rental housing, including occupied and unoccupied units. While rental prices in Canada have generally increased, vacancy rates have declined. This trend is likely due to increased employment.
The Cmhc Rental Market Report highlights the fact that vacancy rates across Canada have declined since 2011. While the overall vacancy rate remains low, vacancy rates in some cities have increased. For example, in Toronto, the vacancy rate has decreased from 1.7 percent to 1.6 percent, indicating a growing demand among renters. Among the younger demographics, the demand for rentals has increased. This trend may be due to increased international migration and increased employment rates for people between the ages of 25 and 44. This indicates a growing need for affordable housing.
Vacancy rates are down in urban markets, while they remain high in rural areas. The difference is quite large, indicating that the Canadian population is preferring to live in cities. The highest vacancy rates were among bachelor studios, with a rate of 11.0%. The lowest rates were among two-bedroom and three-bedroom units, with rates between 1.8% and 2.4%.
While vacancy rates across Canada remain high in many areas, the vacancy rates in downtown areas and new units were down. In Winnipeg, the vacancy rate was just over two per cent in 2021. A lack of new supply may be contributing to this low vacancy rate. The vacancy rate for rental condos is also low, despite recent delays in new construction.
Rents rise in Saskatoon
According to the latest Cmhc Rental Market Report, rents rose in Saskatoon over the past year. In January, the average rent for a two-bedroom apartment increased from $1,110 to $1,129. That’s a rise of 0.3 per cent from the previous year. While Saskatoon’s average rent was higher than the national average, the increase was small compared to the average rise across the country.
Compared to other Prairie cities, Saskatoon’s rental market is stable. In contrast, rural markets have been disrupted by the COVID pandemic, which has lowered the overall turnover rate. The rental market is most stable in Class-B and Class-C assets, while new purpose-built rental apartment buildings were among the worst performers. Older apartment buildings have lower vacancy rates, which means lower disruptions to rental income.
In the province, rental affordability continues to be a problem. Most centres report a shortage of affordable units for households in the lowest income quintile, and the number of affordable rental units is expected to decline through 2020. While CMHC data may seem to indicate that rents are rising in Saskatoon, the number of rental units is still low compared to what is needed to support the population growth.
While vacancy rates remained low in all three provinces, they have seen an increase in many areas, including Ontario. In addition, aging populations have been pushing more youth workers and older renters into the rental market. While rents continue to rise in Saskatoon, the rental vacancy rate has continued to fall nationally, with most provinces experiencing a decline in the number of units available for rent.
The Cmhc Rental Market Report shows that the average two-bedroom apartment in Saskatoon is $1,468 a month. This is higher than the national average of $1,070 per month. While Ontario and Saskatchewan have the lowest average rents, Vancouver, Montreal, and Calgary continue to see the fastest growth in rent.
Ontario’s vacancy rate rises in Toronto
In the past few years, Ontario’s rental market has experienced steady growth and a decline in vacancy rate. The growth has largely been driven by an increase in the number of purpose-built apartments, as well as condominium apartments. This increased demand will continue to push rent prices higher. However, it is important to keep in mind that rent increases also depend on supply and demand. The province recently set a Rent Guideline for 2015 of 1.6%, which is higher than the previous limit of 0.8%. While higher rents will benefit renters, they will also challenge landlords with higher costs. During the period between May 2013 and October 2014, Ontario’s insurance and water costs increased by 7.4% and energy costs increased by 13.0%.
While the province’s overall vacancy rate rose, the Toronto region’s rate decreased. While Toronto’s vacancy rate rose by 1.3 percentage points, it was still below the national average. This is because of increased demand from immigrants and youth workers. Furthermore, younger people are now getting decent employment, and they are moving into the rental market. The Cmhc Rental Market Report also notes that the number of seniors looking to rent has increased. Despite the increasing demand for rental apartments, the vacancy rate for condos is still relatively low.
The Cmhc Rental Market Report shows that vacancy rates rose across the province in 2021. This is the highest vacancy rate since 2012. The increase in Toronto’s rental vacancy rate is attributed to the availability of high-income rental properties in the city.
Vancouver’s vacancy rate increases in Vancouver
Vancouver’s vacancy rate rose in the CMHC Rental Market Report, indicating that more people are looking for affordable rental housing. The report explains that rents have risen faster than wages in the city and that the affordability of rental housing is an issue for low-income households. The report found that less than one-fourth of market rental units in the city are affordable for households earning less than $48,000 per year. For such a household, a two-bedroom rental unit should cost less than 30 per cent of income.
The report noted that the vacancy rate in Vancouver is now nearly two per cent higher than the overall rental market in the CMA. This shows that the rental market in Vancouver is tightening in ways that are not seen in other large centres in Canada. The return of economic growth in Vancouver is also contributing to the increased demand for rental housing. However, the rental market in Vancouver is still facing the same imbalances as in other parts of the country.
The Cmhc Rental Market Report shows that Vancouver’s rental market will remain similar to the current conditions in the first half of 2021 and in most of last year. However, the pandemic continues to be a key driver of market trends. This has caused the vacancy rate in the University Endowment Lands to jump from 0.4% in 2019 to 13% in 2020.
The report also noted that the vacancy rate in Toronto increased to 4.4 per cent and that the city has lagged in returns. However, it’s still expected to increase slightly in the second half of 2021. Meanwhile, the smaller cities in B.C. have the lowest vacancy rates in Canada. These smaller cities are also seeing record levels of migration from other provinces.
Quebec’s vacancy rate increases in Saskatoon
Saskatoon, the province’s largest city, saw its vacancy rate increase by 2.9 percent in April compared to the same period last year. The vacancy rate in Saskatoon is one of the highest in Canada. Quebec City and Regina were the only other two major cities to see a decrease, each posting a vacancy rate under 2%. Meanwhile, in Windsor, Ont., the vacancy rate was more than double the national average.
In March, the number of job vacancies in Canada reached a record high. There were over one million vacant positions nationwide. The increase in job vacancies was higher than in February and was 68.8% higher than in September last year. The provinces with the highest vacancy rates were British Columbia, Quebec, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
The province’s vacancy rate is a function of the seasonal nature of the economy. The number of vacant positions in construction, manufacturing, professional, scientific, and technical services and transportation industries were still high. Even the number of vacant positions in finance and insurance was high.
The provincial vacancy rate is an indicator of the health of the economy. It is an indicator of the level of employment and the level of unemployment in each province. According to Statistics Canada, the vacancy rate in Quebec increased by 3.9 percent. By comparison, the rate in Alberta was close to four percent, while the rate in Ontario, Newfoundland, and Saskatchewan remained near their respective national averages.
Despite the rising vacancy rate in Saskatoon, the residential market is doing well. There are fewer new homes being built in the area, a healthy resale market, and a new bus rapid transit system is expected to start construction in 2022. Moreover, Saskatoon’s economy is on the right track to start growing again. The CBoC predicts that Saskatoon’s GDP will grow by 3.3 percent in the next decade.
Among many other things, David A. Grantham is a contributing author to UmassExtension West Vancouver Blo. He is a renowned expert on real estate in BC.
Born in North Vancouver, Louisiana, Dr. Grantham grew up in Lower Lonsdale. He then went on to complete his business degree at the University British Columbia. As of this writing, Grantham has completed over 100 projects, including the development of a high rise building in Vancouver.
He is a husband, father, son, brother, and friend. He was a dedicated outdoorsman and enjoyed sports such as hunting, fishing, scuba diving, and snow skiing. His wife, Alison Grantham, and their two daughters survived him. He is survived by his wife Alison Martin Grantham and two daughters.