Apartments for Rent in Ottawa, ON
764 Rentals Available

Renter's guide to Ottawa, ON

Canada’s capital, Ottawa, is a major southern city located on the south bank of the Ottawa River. It’s bordered by Gatineau, QC, and the two cities together form the National Capital Region. Ottawa is the second-largest city in Ontario, and the fourth-largest city in Canada. It has less than half of the population of Toronto, ON and is home to about three times as many people as there are in Gatineau, QC. The city is situated 280 miles from Toronto and just 6 miles from Gatineau, QC.

Ottawa’s cleanliness, lack of crime, and overall culture resulted in it being ranked 19^th out of 231 cities around the world in Mercer’s annual Quality of Life survey in 2018. Thanks to its economy, commute, weather, healthcare, and other amenities, Ottawa was also ranked 2^nd out of all Canadian cities in the MoneySense Canada’s Best Places to Live 2018 list.

Ottawa’s climate is humid continental, so the city sees warm, humid summers and cold winters each year. The weather in Ottawa in the summer has temperatures that average about 80ºF, with highs that can surpass 86ºF. The city’s winter temperatures are around 6.1ºF, although some days can get as cold as -4ºF.The city gets an average of about 35 inches of rain each year, mostly in the spring, summer, and autumn months. Winter months can have a lot of snow and ice, with about 88 inches per year. Ottawa can experience tornadoes, as well as flooding during periods of excessive rain.

Tips for renting in Ottawa, ON

Things to do in Ottawa, ON

No matter what your interests are, there are plenty of fun things to do in Ottawa. History buffs can enjoy the Canadian Museum of History, the Canadian War Museum, the Canada Aviation and Space Museum, and Parliament Hill.

Some of the best Ottawa attractions for kids include the Canadian Museum of Nature, the Canadian Children’s Museum, the Canada Agriculture and Farm Museum, Valleyview Little Animal Farm, and the Cumberland Heritage Village Museum.

There are also plenty of things for couples to do in Ottawa. Enjoy roaming through the National Gallery of Canada, which houses a variety of artwork from Canada and around the world. Or pack up a picnic and head over to Confederation Park, Brewer Park, or Major’s Hill Park.

When it comes to the best places to shop in Ottawa, the list includes ByWard Market, Rideau Centre, the Ottawa Farmers’ Market, Tanger Outlets, and the Bayshore Shopping Centre.

Ottawa, ON employment & economy

The Public Service of Canada is one of Ottawa’s main employers, and 40 percent of the employees in this national sector work in the Ottawa region. Public service employees run the day-to-day administrative operations of the federal government in around 200 departments.

Tourism is another major industry in the city, drawing people from across the country and beyond to enjoy its many museums, parks, historical sites, and events.

Technology and healthcare employ many people in Ottawa, and some of the major organizations that have headquarters or regional offices here include Shopify, Corel, Nokia, 3M, Bell Canada, and Adobe Systems. Ottawa has four large hospitals, including Queensway Carleton Hospital, the Ottawa Hospital, Montfort Hospital, and Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, as well as many specialized medical facilities. Ottawa’s unemployment rate of 5.0 percent is slightly lower than the national rate of 5.8 percent.

Education in Ottawa, ON

Some of Ottawa’s highest ranked public elementary schools, as determined by the Fraser Institute, are Ahlul Bayt Islamic, Saint-François-d'Assise, Georges-Étienne-Cartier, Marius-Barbeau, and Édouard-Bond. Out of the city’s 25 high schools, the highest ranked are De La Salle, Nepean, Lisgar, and Canterbury. The city also has several private elementary and secondary schools.

The top colleges and universities in Ottawa include Carleton University (known for its journalism and political science programs), the University of Ottawa (the largest English-French bilingual university in the world), Algonquin College, and La Cité collégiale. Over half of Ottawa’s population has graduated from college and/or university.