Canada Renter Interest Report: Moncton, NB, Tops Q1 2025 Rankings as Toronto Slides Down the List

Apartment searches across Canada saw their usual seasonal dip in the first quarter of 2025, reflecting the typical slowdown that comes with the winter months. But, even with this typical cool-down, renter interest remains strong nationwide, driven by persistent challenges in the housing market, such as high home prices and limited inventory.

With renting still the more practical option for many Canadians, a closer look at renter engagement data for the first quarter of 2025 revealed some surprising shifts in where apartment-hunters are focusing their searches. So, which cities are capturing the most attention this quarter?

To pinpoint Canada’s top-trending rental markets, we analyzed millions of interactions on RentCafe.com for the first quarter of 2025. Specifically, we focused on four key indicators from Canadian properties listed on our website to rank the cities attracting the most interest from apartment-hunters:

• available listings
• listing views
• apartments saved as favourites
• saved personalized searches

There’s been significant reshuffling in the rankings since last quarter: Winnipeg, MB, slides down one spot to become runner-up, while Moncton, NB, leaps five spots to become Canada’s most sought-after city for apartment-hunters.

Not to be outdone, Saskatoon, SK, jumps 18 spots to secure third place, climbing back into the top three after ranking 21st this winter. Rounding out the top five are Edmonton, AB, which dips two positions, and Halifax, NS, maintaining its spot.

Zooming out to the provincial level, Ontario sees 11 of its cities in our ranking — the most of any province. However, only two Ontario cities made it to the top 10 (Ottawa and London). The other provinces to feature more than one location are Saskatchewan with Saskatoon and Regina, and Alberta with Edmonton and Calgary. Meanwhile, British Columbia, Manitoba and Nova Scotia each see only one city in the top 10.

This report showcases trending Canadian cities experiencing growing renter interest in the first quarter of the year. While major hubs like Toronto and Vancouver maintain their strong appeal for apartment-hunters, their year-over-year changes remain moderate due to their already well-established rental markets.

Moncton, NB, overtakes Winnipeg, MB, as Canada’s top city for renter interest

1. Moncton, NB

Moncton, NB, climbs five spots to become the city drawing the most interest from renters in the first quarter of 2025. It also ranks first in Canada for page views with a whopping 213% year-over-year increase.

With a good quality of life and a growing economy, Moncton attracts plenty of renters. Besides locals (who drive a significant amount of demand here), most of the interest in apartments in Moncton comes from Halifax, NS; Toronto; and nearby Dieppe, NB.

2. Winnipeg, MB

Winnipeg, MB, holds second place with a score of 96.21, after slipping one spot since the start of the year. Although the city continues to lead the country in saved searches and favourited listings, both metrics have declined. This suggests that renters interested in apartments in Winnipeg are becoming more decisive as they narrow their search for their ideal home.

Most interest in Winnipeg comes from renters in Toronto; Calgary, AB; and Estevan, SK.

3. Saskatoon, SK

Saskatoon, SK, makes a strong comeback after falling out of the top 10 in early 2025, climbing an impressive 10 spots to land in third place this quarter. With a score of 84.89, the city has seen a dip in overall online engagement, but still ranks second for page views and fifth for saved searches.

Interest in apartments in Saskatoon comes from apartment-hunters from Winnipeg, MB; Calgary, AB; and Regina, SK.

4. Edmonton, AB

Edmonton, AB, previously in second place, slipped two spots to now rank fourth with a score of 82.08. Despite experiencing decreases in overall online engagement, the city ranks second in Canada for saved searches. Combined with a 9% increase in page views, this indicates that renters are taking a more measured approach to finding a home that meets their needs.

Those eyeing apartments in Edmonton hail from nearby Calgary and Edson, AB, as well as Vancouver and Toronto.

5. Halifax, NS

Halifax, NS, holds steady in fifth place, earning a score of 80.49 in the first quarter of the year. Additionally, the city ranks third nationally for favourited listings and has seen a notable 108% increase in that same metric amid decreases in all other forms of online engagement. As such, apartment-hunters appear to be more selective before committing to a lease.

Most interest in apartments in Halifax comes from those in Toronto; nearby Dartmouth, NS; as well as Edmundston, NB.

6. Ottawa, ON

Ottawa, ON, slid two positions to land in sixth place with a score of 78.25. Here, the overall drops in online engagement, as well as the slight increase in availability, are consistent with the expected slowdown of the winter months.

That said, there’s still plenty of interest for apartments in Ottawa, mainly from locals, but also from renters from Toronto; Montréal; and Gatineau, QC.

7. Victoria, BC

Victoria, BC, dropped four spots to rank seventh with a score of 76.87, after previously holding third place in early 2025. Both the availability and the online engagement metrics have decreased year-over-year, suggesting that renters may be acting more quickly to secure a rental before the rush of the summer months.

Other than locals, most interest in apartments in Victoria comes from prospective renters from Vancouver and nearby Oak Bay and Langford, BC.

8. Calgary, AB

Calgary rejoins the top 10 after climbing 10 spots to land at #8 with a score of 73.12. The city ranks third in Canada for saved searches. A combination of declining online engagement and a slight uptick in availability suggests that renters may be taking a more relaxed approach as they search for a place they like.

That said, interest in apartments in Calgary remains strong — primarily driven by locals, as well as renters in high-profile cities, including Edmonton, Vancouver and Toronto.

9. Regina, SK

Back in Saskatchewan, Regina rose three positions this quarter to take ninth place with a score of 72.90, marking its return to the top 10. Increases in both listings added to favourites and page views indicate that renters here are patiently weighing their options in their search for a home.

Most interest in apartments in Regina comes from renters in Winnipeg, MB; Calgary, AB; and Saskatoon, SK.

10. London, ON

London, ON, climbed one spot since the beginning of the year, rounding out the top 10 with its score of 70.94. The city has seen a surge in listings added to favourites, ranking fourth in Canada for this metric. However, overall online engagement has decreased, which suggests that renters here may be taking a more deliberate and methodical approach in their apartment search, instead.

Interest in London mainly comes from fellow Ontarians in Toronto and Hamilton, as well as from renters in Montréal.

Calgary joins Edmonton in top 10, Toronto falls in national ranking

As is typical during the colder months, rental activity in major cities such as Toronto, Vancouver and Montréal slowed somewhat in early 2025, even as these hubs remained popular among newcomers to Canada. During this seasonal dip, more renters on RentCafe.com turned their attention to smaller cities and suburban areas, drawn by expanding job prospects, greater affordability and the appeal of extra space for remote work.

However, Edmonton is no longer the only major city among Canada’s top 10 trending cities for renter interest as Calgary has now joined the elite, most in-demand cities. While Edmonton slipped two positions to take fourth place nationally, Calgary made a 10-spot leap to secure eighth place.

Toronto’s earlier momentum appears to have tapered off in the first quarter of the year, slipping one position to now rank at #15 among Canada’s top-trending rental markets with a score of 60.53. Here, availability remained largely the same, but online engagement decreased across the board, suggesting that many renters may be holding off until the warmer months to begin or resume their apartment search.

In addition to local renters, most of the interest in apartments in Toronto comes from nearby Mississauga and Vaughan, ON, as well as Montréal, QC.

Speaking of Montréal, the city has inched up two spots since early 2025 to now sit at #20 with a score of 54.05. A modest increase in available listings — coupled with drops across all online engagement metrics — indicates that apartment-hunters may have paused their search during the colder months.

Vancouver also climbed the rankings by two spots, trailing closely behind Montréal at #21 with a score of 53.81. Even with more listings available, engagement dropped in the first quarter — suggesting that renters are still taking a more cautious approach before committing to an apartment in Vancouver, which is in line with their online behaviour seen in early 2025.

Methodology

RentCafe.com is a nationwide apartment search website that enables renters to easily find apartments and houses for rent throughout Canada.

To compile this report, the research team analyzed RentCafe.com’s rental listing data across 25 cities in Canada with a relevant listing inventory sample. The regions are defined according to Statistics Canada.

The cities were ranked based on a city-level rental interest score. Full points were awarded to the most desirable city for a particular metric, while the zero-point level was set slightly below the worst city’s value. Cities that lacked sufficient information regarding specific metrics were awarded zero points.

The city that obtained the highest total score was awarded 100 points and all total scores of the following cities were adjusted accordingly.

To calculate each city’s score, we ranked them according to four metrics and their averages as of the first quarter of 2025 (January through March) versus the previous quarter.

1. Availability Rate (Maximum score: 40 points)

The availability rate score was calculated by dividing the total vacant units at the city level for the first quarter of 2025 by the total units and a quarter-over-quarter comparison of the same. The lowest rate received maximum points.

2. Page Views (Maximum score: 30 points)

The page views score was calculated as the total number of page views during the first quarter of 2025 at the city level divided by the total renter population in the city and a quarter-over-quarter comparison of the same. Page views are defined as a unique visitor interaction on a specific page in a 30-minute window.

3. Favourites (Maximum score: 15 points)

The favourites score was calculated as the total rental listings added to favourites at the city level for the first quarter of 2025 divided by the total renter population in the city and a quarter-over-quarter comparison of the same. A favourite is defined as a rental listing saved to favourites by a website visitor.

4. Saved Searches (Maximum score: 15 points)

The saved searches score was calculated as the total number of saved searches at the city level for the first quarter of 2025 divided by the total renter population in the city and a quarter-over-quarter comparison of the same. A saved search is defined as a filtered/personalized apartment search saved by a website visitor.

Fair use & redistribution

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