Renting in Canada Roundup: Time for a national rent freeze?

Does Canada need a national rent price freeze? Could you be a "forever" housesitter? Are you one of the Canadian renters getting a significant inheritance?

As always, we've got the answers for domestic, newcomer and international student renters in this week's Renting in Canada roundup.

Here's our look at what's making news in Canada's Trump tariff-anxious rental market :

First, kudos to Sudbury resident Lasse Borgos. He's been house-sitting for over three years, which has made renting more affordable. Despite planning to move to a more permanent home in May, he sees the practice as a viable housing solution. Faith Greco has the story for CBC News.

According to Zakiya Kassam of Storeys, in just 10 years, demand in Ontario’s rental market will outstrip supply by almost double, based on a new study from the Federation of Rental-housing Providers of Ontario (FRPO) and Urbanation. The study predicts rental demand will rise by 418,000 units by 2034, while purpose-built and condominium rental supply will increase by only 211,000 units

If you're renting in an apartment building, don't be surprised if your neighbours are Boomers. Kelsey Rolfe of the Globe and Mail reports that a December report by real estate search site Point2Homes shows that seniors 65 and older represent 32.5% of single-person rental households. Based on Statistics Canada 2021 census data, the study found that tenants aged 25 to 34 make up 18.5% of solo renters, a share almost identical to renters aged 55 to 64.

Is the lack of affordable housing making Canadians unhappy? According to Angela Zerednicki, Zoocasa studied data from Stats Canada and the Canadian Real Estate Association’s February 2025 report to determine how housing affordability in each province may influence overall well-being and decision-making.

As rent prices continue to fall and vacancies grow, newcomers to Canada and international students find Canadian landlords offering incentives such as free rent, cheaper rent, and other concessions such as free WiFi and utilities. Check out our Rentals For Newcomers story on how you can negotiate with a landlord.

Newcomer renters and international students can take advantage of the growing trend of rental incentives

And while you're at it, here are some tips on how newcomers and international students can impress a Canadian landlord.

As the economic uncertainty fuelled by Trump's tariffs grows, is it time for Canada to enact a national rental freeze? It's been done before. Bruno Dobrusin of the Breach explains.

The City of Mississauga, a popular landing spot for immigrants, will spend $44 million to help build over 1,400 new rental units across eight developments. The investment aims to help expand access to affordable housing by delivering nearly 400 units with below-market or affordable rents.

Did you know that as home values rose strongly throughout the COVID-19 pandemic period, so did homeowners' (and renters') inheritances? According to Statistics Canada, by 2023, the median inheritance Canadian homeowners received had risen to $85,100.

Landlords increasingly say they can't cover the basic costs of rental ownership, according to a liv.rent report

A new liv.rent 2025 Canada Rental Market Trend Report surveyed hundreds of Canadian landlords and found nearly half feel their asking rent is lower than they prefer and that they can't cover the basic expenses of ownership. Daniel Chai has the story for blogTO.

According to Elana Shepert of Bowen Island Undercurrent, tenants can install security cameras anywhere inside their units provided they don't infringe on the privacy of other residents. However, outside, it's more complicated.

Finally, ICYMI, a new renter preference survey from Rentals.ca reveals that affordability and difficulty finding good rentals are significant issues for renters, and a Rentsync analysis explains how U.S.-Canada tariffs will impact the Canadian rental housing market.

Steve Tustin is the Content Editor for Rentals for Newcomers and a contributing editor for Prepare for Canada. He is also the former managing editor of Storeys.com and a former senior editor at the Globe and Mail and the Toronto Star.

Rentals for Newcomers provides rental solutions for newcomers and is powered by Rentsync, a North American market leader for property technology within the multifamily apartment industry. This gives Rentals for Newcomers access to the latest rental technology, tools, insights, and trends.