Canadian asking rents slide, but Halifax hits $2,400

OTTAWA — Average asking rent for a two-bedroom apartment across Canada’s census metropolitan areas fell to $2,130 a month in the second quarter of 2026, down 3.6% from a year earlier, Statistics Canada said.

The national soft patch was uneven. Abbotsford–Mission and Calgary each dropped 6.4% year over year, Montréal fell 5.2% and Vancouver 4.1%. Asking rents rose in Thunder Bay (+6.5%), Sherbrooke (+5.7%), Halifax (+5.3%) and Saskatoon (+5.2%). Vancouver remained the priciest CMA at $3,030, followed by Toronto ($2,650), Victoria ($2,640) and Halifax ($2,400).

Where StatCan published both figures, asking rent still topped paid rent in almost every city — except Calgary ($1,890 asking vs $1,930 paid), Regina ($1,480 vs $1,580) and Edmonton (both $1,570). Vancouver paid rent averaged $2,470 and Toronto $2,160.

The East Coast sticker shock lands as national asking prices ease and Alberta cities see landlords post below what sitting tenants pay — a split that keeps shelter costs hot for Atlantic movers even as western listings cool.