Canada Renter Interest Report: Winnipeg Leads in Q2 2025 as Toronto Gains Ground

Renter activity across Canada gained pace in the second quarter of 2025, revealing fresh shifts in demand and renewed competition in key markets. These changes highlight how affordability pressures and evolving regional dynamics continue to shape where Canadians are focusing their apartment searches.

Nationwide interest remains elevated, fueled by persistent challenges in the housing market such as high home prices, limited inventory, and affordability pressures that continue to push many Canadians toward renting rather than owning a home.

To pinpoint Canada’s top-trending rental markets, we analyzed millions of interactions on RentCafe.com for the second quarter of 2025. Specifically, we focused on four key indicators from Canadian properties listed on our website to rank the cities that are attracting the most interest from apartment-hunters:

• available listings
• listing views
• apartments saved as favourites
• saved personalized searches

The second quarter of 2025 brought meaningful adjustments to the rankings: Winnipeg, MB, has returned to the #1 spot to become Canada’s most sought-after city for apartment-hunters. The city that first dethroned it — Moncton, NB — is now the national runner-up.

The only newcomer this quarter is Kingston, ON, which made the biggest leap in the ranking after jumping eight spots straight to #3. Meanwhile, Edmonton, AB, and Halifax, NS, both hold steady at #4 and #5, respectively.

At a provincial level, Ontario once again dominates with 12 cities featured in the ranking — the highest count among all provinces. Even so, only two Ontario cities made it into the top 10.

Saskatchewan and Alberta each have two cities on the list, while British Columbia shows broader representation this time with four cities in the ranking. Québec also features two cities. All remaining provinces — including Manitoba, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick — are each represented by a single city.

This report showcases trending Canadian cities experiencing growing renter interest in the second quarter of the year. While major hubs like Montréal and Vancouver maintain their strong appeal for apartment-hunters, their year-over-year changes remain moderate due to their already well-established rental markets.

Winnipeg reclaims its throne in Q2 2025

Winnipeg, MB, climbs one spot to reclaim first place, after being temporarily ousted by current runner-up Moncton, NB. Winnipeg saw a 5% year-over-year decline in page views and held the top spot in listings added to favourites, although that metric dipped 16%.

As for saved searches, Winnipeg ranks second nationally despite a 32% decline — showing that the city remains a preferred market for Canadian renters who are drawn by its affordability and resilient local economy.

The most interest in apartments in Winnipeg comes from local renters, as well as those in Toronto; Calgary, AB; and Vancouver.

Edmonton & Calgary still in top 10; Toronto inches closer

As spring took hold, Canada’s major rental hubs experienced a mixed rebound in renter interest during the second quarter. Top-tier cities — like Toronto, Vancouver, and Montréal — continue to attract interest, yet each showed distinct patterns in online activity: Some regained momentum, while others slipped behind.

Edmonton, AB, continues to lead among Canada’s large cities, holding strong in fourth place nationally with a score of 89.62. Despite dips in saved searches and favourited listings, the city ranks first for saved searches, reflecting strong ongoing intent from apartment hunters.

Staying in Alberta, Calgary maintains its position at #8 with a score of 76.22. Though the city experienced decreases in listings that were added to favourites as well as saved searches, it still ranked within the top 10 across all major engagement metrics. Calgary’s consistent presence suggests underlying renter confidence, even amid seasonal fluctuations in online activity.

At the same time, Toronto rose three positions to reach #12, earning a score of 65.96. Although page views held relatively modest, the city saw double-digit declines in deeper engagement: Favourited listings dropped 30%, and saved searches fell 31% year-over-year. This suggests that while renters are still browsing listings for apartments in Toronto, fewer are actively planning moves or bookmarking properties.

Meanwhile, Montréal slid one spot to #21 with a score of 51.96. Here, page views plunged 57%; listings added to favourites decreased by 49%; and saved searches dropped by 40% to mark the sharpest engagement drop among Canada’s larger cities. With renter interest cooling substantially this quarter (despite a slight uptick in available listings), the city shows signs of dwindling demand.

Finally, Vancouver, BC, edged down one position to #22 with a score of 50.25. While the city did record a 42% increase in favourited listings, this gain was offset by significant year-over-year declines in both page views and saved searches. In this case, a spike in availability may point to growing supply — or signal a cooling sense of urgency among apartment hunters.

Punching above their weight: Smaller cities in the national spotlight

Several smaller and mid-sized cities are drawing national attention by generating renter interest well beyond what their population size might suggest. Backed by strong engagement scores and high rankings, these cities are increasingly positioning themselves as appealing alternatives to Canada’s largest urban hubs.

Moncton, NB

Moncton, NB, which held the top spot in Q1, now sits at #2 with a score of 98.73. Even so, the city continues to perform exceptionally well across the board, fueled by sustained renter interest tied to its livability, relative affordability, and growing rental options. Most of the interest in apartments in Moncton originates locally as well as from renters in Halifax, NS, and Toronto.

Kingston, ON

Kingston, ON, made a striking debut in the top 10 after jumping eight spots straight to #3 with a score of 89.80. This surge reflects robust performance across all engagement metrics — from page views and favourited listings to saved searches. Kingston’s combination of relative affordability compared to larger cities, appealing lifestyle, and increasing visibility appears to be resonating with renters looking for a well-balanced place to live. Most of the interest here comes from nearby Toronto and Ottawa, as well as Montréal.

Halifax, NS

Halifax, NS, holds steady at #5, but what truly stands out this quarter is the 158% year-over-year spike in listings added to favourites. This surge suggests a wave of rising interest from renters actively considering a move to the city. Paired with stable rankings in both page views and saved searches, Halifax is signaling strong momentum as a high-interest destination in Nova Scotia, which is particularly apparent in the city’s record employment and population growth. Interest in apartments in Halifax comes from Dartmouth, NS; Edmundston, NB; Toronto; and Ottawa.

Regina, SK

Regina, SK, holds its ground at #9, maintaining a solid top-10 position with a score of 76.10. While its engagement numbers didn’t shift dramatically, the city continues to perform steadily, likely due to its affordability and stable demand within the Prairie region. Apartments in Regina are most sought-after by locals and renters in Calgary, AB; Winnipeg, MB; and Saskatoon, SK.

Stepping up: Cities making big leaps this quarter

Outside of the top 10, St. Catharines, ON, posted the largest gain this quarter by climbing five spots to reach #17. This upward momentum was supported by increased page views and saved searches.

Nanaimo, BC, also advanced, rising four places to secure #13. Its growing popularity among renters is reflected most clearly in saved searches, signaling increased intent.

Similarly, Toronto moved up three positions, inching closer to the elite top 10. While engagement levels remain relatively modest, the city’s sheer size and expanding listings likely helped boost its overall ranking.

Cooling off: Where renter interest took a hit

As several cities surged in renter interest this quarter, others saw notable declines driven by market saturation, seasonal slowdowns or shifting affordability dynamics.

For example, Kitchener, ON, experienced one of the steepest drops, falling 10 positions to land at #23. More precisely, engagement levels slid across key metrics, including page views and saved searches. Once a rising mid-sized contender, Kitchener appears to be losing momentum as renters shift attention to other Ontario cities.

Likewise, Hamilton, ON, also dropped 10 spots and now sits at #24. Despite its proximity to Toronto and reputation for being a more affordable option, renter engagement declined significantly. This may point to growing competition from nearby cities or simply cooling demand following several strong quarters.

Lastly, London, ON, which was in the top 10 in Q1, fell four spots and exited the top tier entirely. Its decline reflects a broader pattern of softening engagement with fewer renters actively saving searches or interacting with listings compared to earlier in the year.

Together, these declines highlight how renter preferences can shift quickly. Even previously high-interest markets can lose traction without the right mix of inventory, affordability and demand drivers.

Methodology

RentCafe.com is a nationwide apartment search website that enables renters to easily find apartments and houses for rent throughout Canada.

To compile this report, the research team analyzed RentCafe.com’s rental listing data across 25 cities in Canada with a relevant listing inventory sample. The regions are defined according to Statistics Canada.

The cities were ranked based on a city-level rental interest score. Full points were awarded to the most desirable city for a particular metric, while the zero-point level was set slightly below the worst city’s value. Cities that lacked sufficient information regarding specific metrics were awarded zero points.

The city that obtained the highest total score was awarded 100 points and all total scores of the following cities were adjusted accordingly.

To calculate each city’s score, we ranked them according to four metrics and their averages as of the second quarter of 2025 (April through June) versus the previous quarter.

1. Availability Rate (Maximum score: 40 points)

The availability rate score was calculated by dividing the total vacant units at the city level for the second quarter of 2025 by the total units and a quarter-over-quarter comparison of the same. The lowest rate received maximum points.

2. Page Views (Maximum score: 30 points)

The page views score was calculated as the total number of page views during the second quarter of 2025 at the city level divided by the total renter population in the city and a quarter-over-quarter comparison of the same. Page views are defined as a unique visitor interaction on a specific page in a 30-minute window.

3. Favourites (Maximum score: 15 points)

The favourites score was calculated as the total rental listings added to favourites at the city level for the second quarter of 2025 divided by the total renter population in the city and a quarter-over-quarter comparison of the same. A favourite is defined as a rental listing saved to favourites by a website visitor.

4. Saved Searches (Maximum score: 15 points)

The saved searches score was calculated as the total number of saved searches at the city level for the second quarter of 2025 divided by the total renter population in the city and a quarter-over-quarter comparison of the same. A saved search is defined as a filtered/personalized apartment search saved by a website visitor.

Fair use & redistribution

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