Vancouver makes huge jump into top 10 renter destinations in Canada
Vancouver is surging in popularity as a destination for renters in Canada, according to a new report examining rental markets across the country.
RentCafe has revealed that Vancouver has placed seventh out of 25 cities among renters’ favourites. The city has jumped up four places since the last report to crack the top 10.
The online apartment search platform stated that Vancouver experienced one of the strongest gains in the fourth quarter of 2025.
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“The data shows that renters in Vancouver are moving faster as limited supply is prompting apartment seekers to make quicker decisions despite high costs,” said RentCafe in a release.
“Here, a sharp year-over-year decline in available apartments suggests that renters moved faster to secure units, influencing engagement patterns across the platform.”
RentCafe gives Vancouver a total rental score of 67.64 in the Renter Interest in Canada’s Large Cities in Q3 2025 report. It is a slight jump from when the city scored 65.02 in the Q3 report.
The score is calculated based on four key indicators, including available listings, listing views, apartments saved as favourites, and saved personalized searches.
Several other statistics were highlighted by RentCafe in its latest report, including a 32 percent drop in rental unit availability year-over-year.
They also pointed to an 18 per cent decline in page views, a seven per cent dip in saved searches, and a five per cent drop in favourited listings as indicators that apartment seekers are choosing their next rental quicker.
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Vancouver is the highest-ranked large city in the report, topping Edmonton in 10th place, Toronto in 12th, Calgary in 15th and Montreal in the 24th spot.
RentCafe also pointed out that smaller and mid-sized cities were “punching above their weight.”
“Several smaller and mid-sized cities attracted more renter searches in the fourth quarter than their population size would suggest,” the platform said.
“Supported by steady engagement and sustained visibility in the rankings, these markets remain compelling alternatives to Canada’s largest urban centres, particularly for renters prioritizing affordability and availability.”
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Victoria was highlighted in the report, moving up two spots to number six on the list of the country’s top rental markets with a score of 70.85.
“Renters are drawn to Victoria’s coastal lifestyle, reinforcing its position as one of western Canada’s most desirable smaller rental markets,” explained RentCafe.
Other B.C. cities that made the list of the most in-demand rental markets in Canada include Nanaimo in 14th and Kelowna in 18th.
The full Canada Renter Interest Report can be read online.
Rent for an apartment in Vancouver recently fell to a four-year low, according to the latest national report from Rentals.ca.
“At an average of $2,630, Vancouver apartment rents were at their lowest since February 2022, declining on an annual basis for 26 straight months,” the report adds.
A one-bedroom unit reached $2,362 in Vancouver last month, representing a 1.2 per cent decrease compared to December 2025 and a 6.3 per cent decrease compared to January 2025.
Two-bedroom units in Vancouver also saw some movement compared to last year.
In January 2026, the average asking rent for a two-bedroom unit hit $3,279 per month in Vancouver. That’s a 0.7 per cent increase compared to December 2025, but a 4.8 per cent decrease compared to January 2025.