Rental rates increase double-digits in Ottawa, report finds

A for rent sign is displayed on a house in a new housing development in Ottawa on Friday, Oct. 14, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

The average cost to rent an apartment in Ottawa increased more than 14 per cent to end 2022, while renters in Gatineau faced a 5 per cent hike in rental rates.

The January 2023 national rent report from Rentals.ca shows the average rent in Ottawa is $2,072, the 11^th highest average rent in Canada.

According to the report, the average rent in Ottawa in December was $1,552 for a bachelor, $1,956 for a one-bedroom, $2,325 for a two-bedroom and $2,376 for a three-bedroom apartment.

In Gatineau, the average rent for all properties was $1,737, with a one-bedroom renting for $1,665.

Rentals.ca says the average rent in Kingston for all units is $1,937 a month, up 13.7 per cent from a year ago.

The report from Rentals.ca shows the annual rate of rent inflation remained in double-digits for the eighth consecutive month in December. The average listed rent for all properties across Canada was $2,005, up $217 from December 2021.

Vancouver has the highest average rent in Canada at $3,080, followed by Toronto at $2,775, Etobicoke at $2,531 and Mississauga at $2,458.

The report says rents for units will increase an average of 5 per cent in 2023 across Canada.

"Markets in Canada experiencing high rates of population growth, low vacancy and relatively modest amounts of new rental construction should drive rent inflation in 2023," the report said. "Atlantic Canada can be expected to continue leading the country in rent growth, with ongoing strength anticipated in Ontario and British Columbia."