Canada now sixth among ‘most rent-entrenched nations’
Forever renters are no longer a niche group, they’re shaping how an entire generation lives, decorates and invests in their homes.
Paul Barker Special to Postmedia Network, Published Sep 04, 2026
The renting forever syndrome across Canada is alive, well and showing no signs of diminishing, results of a new global study reveal.
Conducted by Australian furniture retailer Luxo Living, the company’s Forever Renter Global Index released last month analyzed housing data from 39 countries that belong to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), to determine “where long-term renting is most entrenched and where home ownership is slipping furthest out of reach.”
Key findings revealed that Canada ranks sixth on the index with a score of 54.6, Canadian house prices have outpaced income by 37 per cent since 2015 and its house price to income gap is the second widest of 31 OECD countries that had price-to-income data.
The only nations scoring higher than Canada in the overall index were Switzerland (59.7), Luxembourg (59.7), Chile (64.2) Denmark (67.2) and Columbia (71.4)
Winston Tu, CEO of Luxo Living said that “forever renters are no longer a niche group, they’re shaping how an entire generation lives, decorates and invests in their homes. Just because homeownership feels out of reach doesn’t mean people stop wanting a home that feels considered and lasting.
“As renting becomes the default rather than a stepping stone, furniture suppliers like us have had to evolve, shifting toward modular, multi-use pieces built for a generation that’s always on the move.”
Asked what prompted the study, he said via email that over the years the company has seen “more and more of our customers who are renting long-term invest properly in their homes. This means better quality pieces, furniture that can move with them, and smart storage for smaller spaces.”
That shift in behaviour, added Tu, resulted in the Renter Index, pulling together OECD housing data across 39 countries to see the full picture of where homeownership is slipping furthest out of reach, and forever renting is becoming permanent.
In terms of surprises, he said that “a couple of things stood out. First is how consistent this pattern is worldwide, and it isn’t just confined to the usual expensive-city suspects, but it’s showing up across very different markets and cultures.
“Secondly, in several countries including Canada, it’s the pace of house prices overtaking incomes, rather than rent itself, that’s really driving the trend. This shift changes how people budget for and furnish a home that they may be renting for good.”
Asked if being sixth on the index should be a concern for Canadians and how do they compare with their Australian counterparts, he replied that whether a ranking line should be concerning is really a question for property analysts.
“I don’t want to overstate my own expertise there. What I can speak to is what the data shows – Canada ranks sixth of the 39 countries on our index. Canada and Australia actually tell a fairly similar story: both have relatively moderate housing cost overburden, 10.1 per cent in Canada and 6.5 per cent in Australia, meaning most households aren’t in acute housing stress.”
According to Tu, where both countries stand out is house prices running well ahead of income since 2015, up to 37 per cent in Canada versus almost 22 per cent in Australia.
What it means practically is that people are furnishing homes they’ll rent for good, investing in quality pieces that move with them, and that’s exactly the shift we’re seeing in Australia, he said.
As for plans to do a follow-up study Tu said that the first index provided a global baseline and the plan is to run it annually so “we can track how the ranking moves year on year.”
And, he said, “there is a lot more we’d like to explore from there, including turning the lens onto how renters are actually decorating and furnishing their spaces.”
www.torontosun.com/life/homes/canada-now-sixth-among-most-rent-entrenched-nations
