HALIFAX: The city of Moncton was the most in-demand rental market in Canada in Q4 2025, as renter interest stayed strong nationwide despite the slower pace typical of late-year months, according to RentCafe and a report they published.
The Q4 Canada renter interest report shows that, across the country, demand for rentals remained steady, driven by ongoing affordability challenges and a limited supply of available homes.
With peak moving season behind them, renter activity cooled in some major markets, but competition for available units remained high in others.
Plus, elevated home prices and tight inventory continue to push many Canadians toward renting as they head into the new year.
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Key takeaways:
Major shifts:
- Moncton, NB, holds steady as the #1 city for renter interest in the fourth quarter of 2025.
- Hamilton, ON, posts a significant gain, jumping 10 positions to reach #2.
- Halifax, NS, slips one position, landing at #3.
- Vancouver, BC, climbs four spots to rank #7, standing out among Canada’s larger cities.
Largest jump: Hamilton, ON, records the biggest jump this quarter.
Provincial leadership: In the top 10, renter interest is almost evenly spread across large and mid-sized cities rather than being concentrated in a single province.
To identify Canada’s top-trending rental markets, we analyzed millions of interactions on RentCafe.com during the fourth quarter of 2025. Our analysis focused on four key indicators from Canadian properties listed on the platform. We then ranked the cities that are attracting the highest level of interest from apartment-seekers, including:
- available listings
- listing views
- apartments saved as favourites
- saved personalized searches
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The fourth quarter of 2025 brought a mix of stability and reshuffling among Canada’s most sought-after cities for renters.
Moncton, NB, maintained its lead, ranking #1 nationally in our Canada Renter Interest Report. Hamilton, ON, recorded the strongest showing, surging 10 positions to claim the #2 spot, while Halifax, NS, slipped slightly to #3.
Further west, Saskatoon, SK, moved up three places to become the #4 city for renter interest, while Regina, SK, edged down two positions to round out the top five.
See the full report here – Canada Renter Interest Report 2026