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Average asking rent down 2.9% in B.C. in September, marking 2 years of decreases: report

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Johnson, D. (2026, October 7). Average asking rent down 2.9% in B.C. in September, marking 2 years of decreases: report. CBC News. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/canada-average-rents-fall-2-years-9.7373338?cmp=rss

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CBC News · collected 2026-10-07 · by Daniel Johnson

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Story summary

Average asking rents across Canada fell for the 24th consecutive month in September, marking two full years of declines and one of the longest downturns for the Canadian rental market in recent history, according to a report by Rentals.ca and Urbanation. The average asking rent for all residential properties was $2,034, down 4.2% compared to September 2024, marking the lowest level since 2022. This follows a peak of $2,202 in May 2024.

In British Columbia, average asking rents decreased by 2.9%, continuing a two-year trend of decreases. The report highlights that rents are also down 7.3% over the past two years and 9.2% from their peak, with significant declines seen particularly for condominium apartments at $2,052, down 7.8% annually.

The key driver behind these falling rents is an oversupply in major rental markets like Toronto and Vancouver, where annual rent declines have narrowed but remain substantial due to increased housing supply. Additionally, the federal government's decision in October 2024 to reduce immigration levels has slowed population growth, further contributing to the decline in rental prices.

Written for “Rent Decline Canada” on 2026-11-03, grounded in this article and the 2 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Rent Decline Canada
Economy/Business · 3 article(s) covering the same event. Compare every outlet's account →

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 5% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
Global News
Hedges 2 of 14 claims Outlet record 63/100
National Post
⚖️ Leans right Hedges 8 of 37 claims Outlet record 60/100
“While both articles discuss similar trends in Canadian rental markets, they do not describe the exact same specific incident or time frame.”
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
20
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
5%
1 of 20 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
74/100
CBC News's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
3
Economy/Business
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-10-07 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

CBC News · 1823 article(s) · 5 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 5 correction(s)

Who wrote this

Daniel Johnson
9 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
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🔮 Average asking rent prices in September were down 7.3 per cent over the past two years, and 9.2 per cent below the peak of $2,202 in May 2024.
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Also by Daniel Johnson
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 9 articles by Daniel Johnson →

Topics

B.C. Canada Toronto Urbanation Vancouver

Subjects

Canada GPE · 4× Vancouver GPE · 4× B.C. GPE · 3× Toronto GPE · 3× Urbanation ORG · 2× Alberta GPE · 1× Canadian NORP · 1× Ontario GPE · 1× Rentals.ca ORG · 1× Statistics Canada ORG · 1×

Narrative

On a per-square-foot basis, average asking rents in Canada's six largest markets came in at $2.48, falling 1.5 per cent from September 2025. Asking rents for purpose-built apartments fell 2.7 per cent on an annual basis to an average of $2,036 in September, while asking rents for condominium apartments decreased 7.8 per cent to $2,052.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-10-07
🔮 Average asking rent prices in September were down 7.3 per cent over the past two years, and 9.2 per cent below the peak of $2,202 in May 2024.

Claims (20 extracted, 1 hedged)

Average asking rent down 2.9% in B.C. in September, marking 2 years of decreases asserted
rent → ask → decreases
Average asking prices in September across Canada were down 7.3% over the last 2 years The average asking price for a rental unit in Canada in September was $2,034, down 4.2 per cent compared with a year ago. asserted
price → compare → September
A monthly report from Rentals.ca and Urbanation said the figures mark two full years of annual declines, the longest downturn the Canadian rental market has experienced in recent history. asserted
market → say → history
Average asking rent prices in September were down 7.3 per cent over the past two years, and 9.2 per cent below the peak of $2,202 in May 2024. uncertain
prices → ask → May
The report also highlighted figures from Statistics Canada that show average weekly earnings have risen 19.4 per cent over the past five years, signifying a general improvement in rental affordability. asserted
earnings → highlight → affordability
Rents edged slightly lower on a monthly basis, down by $1 compared with $2,035 in August, a second consecutive monthly decrease. asserted
Rents → edge → August
The report said this is part of a typical seasonal pattern where demand rises in the spring and summer and begins to ease in the fall. asserted
demand → say → fall
Asking rents drop again, but B.C. remains among Canada's most expensive markets Backlash over rental prices at Sen̓áḵw development in Vancouver asserted
B.C. → ask → Vancouver
In contrast, other provinces saw increases, including 1.4 per cent rises in both Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan. asserted
provinces → see → Scotia
On a per-square-foot basis, average asking rents in Canada's six largest markets came in at $2.48, falling 1.5 per cent from September 2025. Asking rents for purpose-built apartments fell 2.7 per cent on an annual basis to an average of $2,036 in September, while asking rents for condominium apartments decreased 7.8 per cent to $2,052. asserted
rents → come → 2,052
Rental prices for purpose-built apartments saw the smallest annual decline across all property types. asserted
prices → build → types
Condo rents saw the steepest declines, led by a 9.6 per cent drop in studio condo rents. asserted
rents → see → rents
Other secondary market units like houses and townhomes fell 7.4 per cent year-over-year to $2,016. asserted
units → fall → 2,016
The report said rental markets in Toronto and Vancouver are showing signs of stability though after rents hit their lowest level in five years. asserted
rents → say → years
"Our research shows supply has been the main driver of this correction, and in key markets like Toronto and Vancouver, new supply is moving past its peak," Urbanation president Shaun Hildebrand said in a statement. asserted
Hildebrand → show → statement
"Rents in both cities have trended higher over the past six months, and annual declines have narrowed significantly as renters come off the sidelines. asserted
renters → trend → sidelines
Where Toronto and Vancouver go, the rest of the country follows. asserted
rest → go → country
" A few factors support an "upcoming return to positive rent growth" in those cities, the report said. asserted
report → support → cities
This includes the fact that construction inventory has peaked, data revisions show a modest increase in populations, and both cities are relatively less exposed to tariffs across their respective labour markets. " asserted
cities → include → markets
In the near term, more affordable rents and move-in incentives are releasing pent-up demand from delayed household formation, as higher rents in previous years led to prospective renters living with parents or roommates for longer," the report said. asserted
report → move → parents
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