Moncton Remains Canada’s Most In-Demand Rental Housing Market
By: Monte Stewart, February 21, 2026
Moncton, N.B., remained Canada’s most in-demand rental housing market in the fourth quarter of 2025, according to the latest Canada Renter Interest Report from RentCafe.
The report, based on millions of interactions on RentCafe.com during the quarter, shows renter demand remained steady nationwide despite the typical late-year slowdown. Elevated home prices and limited housing supply continued to push many Canadians toward renting.
Moncton earned a perfect score of 100, holding its top ranking from the previous quarter. Page views rose 34% year-over-year, while apartment availability declined 33%, indicating units were being leased more quickly. Saved searches and favourited listings remained stable, reflecting sustained renter engagement. The city’s relative affordability and economic momentum in Atlantic Canada were cited as key factors supporting demand. Much of the interest in Moncton came from renters in Halifax, Montreal and Toronto.
Hamilton posted the largest quarterly gain, jumping 10 spots to rank second nationally, while Halifax slipped one position to third. Saskatoon climbed to fourth place and Regina rounded out the top five.
Among larger markets, Vancouver rose four positions to seventh place with a score of 67.64, despite an 18% drop in page views and a 32% decline in available listings year-over-year, suggesting that renters are moving more quickly in a tight-supply environment. Edmonton ranked 10th nationally, although page views and favourited listings fell 30% and 40%, respectively. Toronto climbed two spots to 12th, while Calgary fell out of the top 10, dropping six places to 15th amid softer online engagement.
Montreal ranked 24th, near the bottom of the national list, as renter activity slowed sharply year-over-year, with page views down 51% and favourited listings falling 61%.
Other mid-sized cities continued to “punch above their weight,” said RentCafe. Victoria moved up to sixth place, supported by a 21% increase in favourited listings and a 37% rise in saved searches. Winnipeg ranked eighth and Ottawa ninth, with Ottawa edging up one spot despite year-over-year declines in page views and favourited listings.
The rankings were calculated using four indicators: Availability of listings, page views, favourited apartments and saved personalized searches, weighted to reflect both year-over-year change and overall volume.
www.connectcre.ca/stories/moncton-remains-canadas-most-in-demand-rental-housing-market/
