Six Metro Vancouver cities saw rent increases this month
Unfortunately for renters, Metro Vancouver rent prices seem to be inching a little higher recently.
Liv.rent recently published its August 2026 Metro Vancouver rent report, showing that the average asking rent for an unfurnished one-bedroom in Metro Vancouver was at $2,098 — slightly higher than the July average of $2,089.
In six of the nine cities the report examined, rents increased in various categories.
This includes Vancouver, Burnaby, Langley, West Vancouver, North Vancouver, and Coquitlam.
For furnished one-bedroom units, West Vancouver rents went up by nearly four per cent, Vancouver by 2.33 per cent, and Burnaby and Langley by nearly two per cent.
For unfurnished one-bedroom units, North Vancouver increased by 3.59 per cent and Coquitlam by 1.85 per cent.
liv.rent
Burnaby was the only city where every rental category that liv.rent measures increased this month. The biggest surge was for furnished three-bedroom apartments, where rents rose by 3.74 per cent, from $3,046 to $3,190.
Year-over-year, rents are down
The good news is that rent is still lower than what it was one year ago. In August 2025, the average rent price for an unfurnished one-bedroom unit was $2,206, meaning that average prices have dropped by a little over $100, around 4.7 per cent.
And two years ago, you were looking at an average price of $2,378 — $280 higher than today.
Rents have gone down due to reduced temporary residents lowering population growth, falling demand from new renters, and the fact that there has been a record number of purpose-built rental completions.
Where are the most expensive places to rent?
But even if average Metro Vancouver rent has gone down by a couple hundred dollars in the past two years, it is still one of the most expensive regions to rent in the country. In fact, nearly 40 per cent of renter households spent more than 30 per cent on shelter costs, which is the threshold where housing is generally considered unaffordable.
According to liv.rent, four of the five most expensive cities in Canada are all local: West Vancouver, North Vancouver, Vancouver, and Burnaby.
And within the region, Vancouver has the most expensive neighbourhoods to be a renter, ancouver, with the West End taking the top spot, followed by Downtown, West Point Grey/UBC, and Kitsilano.
liv.rent
An unfurnished one-bedroom in the West End is going for an average of $2,320, and a furnished one-bedroom is $2,928.
Downtown, an unfurnished one-bedroom is $2,460, and a furnished one is $2,882. In West Point Grey/UBC, it is $2,741 for an unfurnished one-bedroom and $2,510 if it’s furnished. In Kits, the average rent is $2,518 for an unfurnished one-bedroom and $2,659 for a furnished one.