Monitor our most recent coronavirus (COVID-19) updates.

Skip to content
CMHC Home Canada Mortgage
and Housing Corporation
  • Sign In or Register
  • FRANÇAIS
  • MENU
MENU
× FRANÇAIS
  • Home
  • Professionals
    • Project funding and mortgage financing
      • Funding programs
        • National Housing Co-Investment Funding
        • Innovation and research
        • Community (social) housing
        • Funding for Indigenous housing
        • National Housing Strategy Project Profiles
      • Mortgage loan insurance
        • Homeowner and small rental mortgage loan insurance
        • Homeowner Business Transformation (HBT)
          • Arrears Report Upload Tool - Coming 2022
          • Default Management Request Submission Tool
          • Homeowner Claims Submission Tool
          • User Access Management
        • Multi-unit mortgage loan insurance
          • MLI Select
        • Default, claims and properties for sale
        • Underwriting centre
        • emili
        • NHA approved lenders
        • Calculating GDS / TDS
        • Mortgage fraud
        • Contact mortgage loan insurance
        • Insured Mortgage Purchase Program (IMPP)
        • COVID-19: CECRA for small businesses has ended
      • Securitization
        • NHA Mortgage Backed Securities
        • Canada Mortgage Bonds
        • Canadian registered covered bonds
        • Blockchain in the housing industry
    • Housing markets, data and research
      • Housing markets
        • CMHC Reports Calendar
        • Housing market reports
        • Mortgage market and consumer reports
        • Rental Market Report
      • Housing research
        • Housing research reports
        • Housing surveys
        • Research awards and scholarships
        • Understanding core housing need
        • Collaborative Housing Research Network
      • Housing data
        • Data tables
          • Household characteristics data
          • Housing market data
          • Mortgage and debt data
          • Rental market data
        • Housing market information portal
        • Residential Mortgage Industry Data Dashboard
        • Housing in Canada Online (HiCO)
        • CMHC licence agreement for the use of data
        • Housing Knowledge Centre
    • Industry innovation and leadership
      • Housing innovation
      • Partnerships
      • Industry collaboration
      • Industry expertise
        • Affordable housing
        • Indigenous housing
        • Senior housing
        • Accessible and adaptable housing
        • Developing sustainable housing
        • Resources for mortgage professionals
        • CMHC e-newsletters
    • Events and speakers
      • Conferences
      • Speakers’ bureau
  • Consumers
    • Buying a home
      • Homebuying calculators
        • Mortgage calculator
        • Affordability calculator
        • Debt service calculator
      • Buying guides
        • Homebuying step by step
        • CMHC's condominium buyer's guide
      • Mortgage loan insurance for consumers
        • What is CMHC mortgage loan insurance?
        • Do I qualify for mortgage loan insurance?
        • CMHC mortgage loan insurance costs
        • CMHC Eco Plus
        • CMHC — home renovation financing options
        • FAQs — mortgage loan insurance
        • COVID-19: understanding mortgage payment deferral
      • First-time home buyer incentive
      • Incentives for homebuyers
      • Newcomers
    • Owning a home
      • Manage your mortgage
        • Mortgage fraud
        • Mortgage planning tips
        • Plan and manage your mortgage
        • Your credit report
        • Your home value
      • Aging in place
        • Housing options for Seniors
        • Housing and finance tips
        • Mortgage financing options for people 55+
        • Preventing fraud and financial abuse
    • Renting a home
      • I want to rent
        • Things to consider before renting
        • Types of housing for rent in Canada
        • Finding or advertising a rental property
        • Visiting the rental property
        • Lease and rental agreements
        • Signing the lease
        • Credit checks and bad credit
        • Rental payments and deposits
        • Roommates and pets
      • I am renting
        • Moving day
        • Landlord/Tenant responsibilities
        • Inspections
        • Maintenance and repairs
        • Complaints and evictions
        • Rent increases
        • When you can't pay rent
        • Renewing or terminating the lease
        • Moving out
      • COVID-19: eviction bans and suspensions to support renters
  • About CMHC
    • CMHC’s Story
    • Management and governance
      • Speakers’ bureau
      • Annual public meeting
      • Board of directors and committees
      • Our management committee
      • Pension governance
        • Pension overview
        • Key roles and responsibilities
        • Annual reports
    • Corporate reporting
      • CMHC annual report
      • Program evaluation
      • Quarterly financial reports
      • Joint auditors special examination report to CMHC board 2018
      • CMHC’s Insured Mortgage Deferral
      • Summary of the corporate plan
      • Transparency
        • Access to information and privacy protection
        • Accessibility at CMHC
        • Briefing materials
        • Procurement
        • Travel, hospitality and conference expenditures
    • Contact us
      • CMHC departments
        • Connect with a housing solutions specialist – multi-unit
        • Contact mortgage loan insurance
        • Indigenous and the North Housing Solutions
      • Granville lsland
      • Media relations
      • National office
      • Regional offices
      • Holiday service hours
    • Careers
  • Media Newsroom
    • Coronavirus (COVID-19) updates
    • Media relations
  • National Housing Strategy
    • What is the strategy?
      • About the initiatives
      • How to apply
      • Help and resources
      • Priority areas for action
      • The National Housing Strategy Glossary of Common Terms
    • Federal/Provincial/Territorial housing agreements
    • Other funding and financing opportunities
  • The Housing Observer
  • Careers
  • Housing Knowledge Centre
 
  • Home
  • The Housing Observer
  • Canada’s rental vacancy rate declines
  • Save page to My Folder
    Save
  • Share this page
    Share

Canada’s Rental Vacancy Rate Declines

January 24, 2020

Save Icon

SAVE TO MY FOLDER

Canada’s Rental Vacancy Rate Declines

SAVE
Close this Window   |   Manage my Folder
Save Icon

SAVE TO MY FOLDER

Canada’s Rental Vacancy Rate Declines

Done Done!
Close this Window   |   Manage my Folder
Share icon

Share via

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Mail
  • Twitter
  • print
Share icon

Share via

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Mail
  • Twitter
  • print
share icon

Mail-blue Share via Email

Did You Know?

You can include an email signature?

Register | Sign In

×
Google Captcha Loader
share icon

Mail-blue Share via Email

Done Done!
Close this window

CMHC’s 2019 Rental Market Survey indicates that the average national vacancy rate has declined for the third year in a row. This downward pressure on vacancy rates emphases the need for increased rental supply to ensure people throughout Canada have access to affordable housing.

We can see the decline across Canada in major city vacancy rates:

  • The national vacancy rate for purpose-built rental apartment units declined for a third consecutive year in 2019. This comes as strong rental demand continued to outpace growth in supply. At 2.2% for all-bedroom types, the national vacancy rate is at its lowest level since 2002.
  • The Montreal Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) vacancy rate reached a 15-year low, driving the national decline. Changes in Montreal’s vacancy rate have large impacts at the national level because 28.8% of all purpose-built apartment units in Canada are in Montreal. This exceeds the shares represented by Toronto (15.4%) and Vancouver (5.4%)
  • Vacancy rates in most other CMAs were stable, including Vancouver and Calgary. The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) was a modest exception, where the vacancy rate edged up slightly.
  • Rental demand remains elevated in both Vancouver and the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Vacancy rates in these markets remained amongst the lowest in Canada in 2019, along with Montreal and Halifax.

National Housing Strategy’s goal is to create affordable housing

As part of the National Housing Strategy is working to build affordable housing. Programs like the Rental Construction Financing Initiative (RCFI) and the Affordable Housing Innovation Fund (AHIF), aim to increase both the affordability and availability of these units. If you are part of a Business, Municipality or Government entity looking for opportunities to help improve Canada's rental housing supply, please visit cmhc.ca/NHS for more information.

The Rental Market Report uses data collected by CMHC's Rental Market Survey. It’s developed annually by CMHC. The report provides in-depth analysis and trends around the cost and availability of rental units throughout major cities within Canada. Learn more about the national vacancy rate in the report.

Related Information

  • A Place to Call Home
Download the 2019 Rental Market Report now

Was this page relevant to your needs?

Thank you for your feedback!

Sorry to hear that! Can you tell us about the problem?

Google Captcha Loader

For further assistance, please contact us

Thank you. Your feedback has been submitted.

Discover related content using the tags below:

  • Rental Housing
  • Vacancy Rates
  • National Housing Strategy
Date Published: January 24, 2020

By Topic

  • Professionals
    • Project funding and mortgage financing
    • Housing markets data and research
    • Industry innovation and leadership
    • Events and speakers
  • Consumers
    • Home buying
    • Owning a home
    • Renting a home

About Us

  • CMHC's Story
  • Management and Governance
  • Partnerships
  • Corporate Reporting
  • Contact Us
  • Careers

More

  • CMHC e-Newsletters
  • CMHC Library
  • Housing Observer Online
  • Media Newsroom
  • CMHC on Twitter
  • CMHC on LinkedIn
  • CMHC on Facebook
  • CMHC on Instagram
  • CMHC on YouTube
Privacy Policy    |    Terms and Conditions    |    Transparency     Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) ©2022 
Canada
loader icon