Here are the top three most popular Canadian cities for renters
The top cities in Canada that renters are most interested in have just been revealed, and they may surprise you.
RentCafe, a rental search website, released its Canada Renter Interest Report for the first quarter of 2026, highlighting the country’s top 10 trending cities for renter interest.
“In the first months of 2026, the rental story split in two,” reads the report. “With home prices still elevated and rents on newly signed leases slipping across most major metros (according to Yardi data), vacancy rose and engagement softened in big-city markets, while smaller and mid-sized cities saw availability tighten and competition heat up among apartment-seekers.”
Overall, RentCafe found that Q1 saw a broader shift in demand toward mid-sized cities in Canada, with three mid-sized cities in Ontario ranking in the top three.
The site determined which rental markets attracted the most attention by reviewing millions of renter interactions on RentCafe.com during the first quarter of 2026.
It ranked cities in Canada based on four main indicators of renter activity: available listings, listing views, apartments saved as favourites, and saved personalized searches.
The city that took first place for the most in-demand rental market in Canada is Moncton, N.B. It claimed the top spot for the third quarter in a row with a perfect score of 100.
Moncton City and Petitcodiac River Skyline at Hawthorne Park in Riverview, N.B (NayaDadara/Shutterstock)
According to the report, page views for rental properties in Moncton climbed 14 per cent year-over-year, “bucking the national trend of double-digit declines in browsing activity across most major metros.”
The demand for rentals in Moncton saw listing availability drop by 40 per cent year-over-year as people “snatched up units faster than property managers could relist them.”
Lastly, RentCafe found that saved searches increased by seven per cent, signaling that more apartment hunters — including people from out-of-province — are keeping tabs on Moncton.
“These trends highlight Moncton’s ongoing appeal, supported by its relative affordability, quality of life and economic growth,” reads the report. “New Brunswick’s domestic migration remained positive in 2025, and Moncton’s diversifying employment base continues to attract renters from larger Eastern markets.”
Aside from locals, the report found that a lot of renters from Montreal, Halifax, and Dieppe, N.B., are searching for apartments in Moncton.
Hamilton, Ont., claimed second place with a score of 82.42. According to the report, renter activity in Hamilton is supported by spillover demand from the Greater Toronto-Hamilton Area (GTHA).
An aerial of the cityscape of Hamilton, Ont., with a display of a highway (Wirestock Creators/Shutterstock)
Favourited listings increased by 174 per cent year-over-year, showing high interest from renters. Page views also rose 11 per cent, with more renters actively browsing Hamilton listings. And as demand increased, availability declined by 14 per cent with fewer units listed as competition intensified.
“Hamilton’s strong showing is largely driven by renters looking beyond the GTHA for more affordable options,” reads the report. “A stable job base and rents well below Toronto’s continue to make the city an appealing choice for renters — a story backed up by Yardi data, with Hamilton one of only three Canadian cities where rents on new leases rose year-over-year in Q1 2026.”
A majority of interest in apartments in Hamilton comes from Ontario renters from Toronto, Oakville, and Mississauga.
Rounding out the top three is Kingston, Ont., which climbed eight spots to the third spot nationally. With a score of 79.15, RentCafe says it has had one of the strongest comebacks of the past year.
Kingston, Ont. (Y-kay/Shutterstock)
Saved searches surged 87 per cent year-over-year, while availability declined 13 per cent, tightening the listing pool. Despite page views falling 27 per cent and favourites declining 32 per cent, Kingston still ranked number two nationally for saved searches, signalling strong interest from renters.
“Kingston’s rebound reflects renewed momentum in Eastern Ontario. Here, enrolment at Queen’s University, stable public-sector jobs and relative affordability compared to Ottawa and Toronto continue to attract renters,” reads the report.
Most interest in Kingston comes mainly from locals, alongside renters from Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal.
Check out where cities in B.C. and Alberta ranked.
You can find the full ranking on RentCafe’s website.