Vancouver renters are looking at smaller B.C. cities in search of greener pastures
Vancouver renters might be looking to move to smaller B.C. cities to find better rental markets, a new report from RentCafe.com suggests.
RentCafe.com, a rental search website, analyzed its rental listing data across 25 Canadian cities over the second quarter of 2026, then ranked them on a “city-level rental interest score,” looking at rental availability, page views, favourites, and saved searches.
From Q1 of 2026, Vancouver dropped five places to 13th place. Meanwhile, Victoria moved up three spots to third place. Nanaimo climbed five rankings to eighth.
This trend has been consistent across the country, with renter activity declining in big Canadian cities in Q2.
“For the first time since we started tracking renter interest in Canada, none of the country’s largest cities appear in the top 10 rental markets for renter activity,” said Florin Petrut, a writer and research analyst for RentCafe.com. “In fact, mid-sized markets are attracting more attention, combining relatively accessible rents with tighter availability.”
In Vancouver, rental availability dropped by 23 per cent, page views fell by 60 per cent, favourite listings by 51 per cent, and saved searches by 52 per cent.
RentCafe.com said that Vancouver’s market is tightening on the supply side, with softer engagement “pulling the city out of the top tier.”
Renters are looking at Vancouver Island
Two Vancouver Island cities made the top 10: Victoria and Nanaimo.
Victoria, currently ranking third, had its rental availability drop by 59 per cent from the year prior, which is “one of the sharpest supply contractions in the country.” Favourited listings increased by 78 per cent, “pointing to renters actively shortlisting the units that remain.”
“Renters continue to be drawn to Victoria’s climate and proximity to Vancouver, and the sharp drop in available listings suggests demand is once again outpacing supply on the island,” reads the report.
Meanwhile, more and more renters are interested in Nanaimo, which ranked eighth in the second quarter. RentCafe.com pointed towards the city’s low availability rate and the fact that page views saw a “moderate pullback compared to many other markets.”
“Along with Victoria’s [number three] finish, Nanaimo’s return puts two Vancouver Island markets in the top 10 — a sign that renters looking beyond Vancouver’s pricier housing keep fuelling demand across the Island.”