Renting interest in Edmonton decreasing: RentCafe report
Posted June 18, 2026 5:47 pm.
Last Updated June 18, 2026 6:28 pm.
Is Edmonton’s rental market cooling? A recent report by RentCafe says interest has been declining so far this year.
For some in the rental market, Edmonton feels ideal when it’s compared to other major Canadian cities.
“It’s definitely something that attracts people. Yeah, it’s a draw that it’s more affordable than the rest of Canada. If you’re someone from Toronto or Vancouver, and I think you’re very used to high living costs. I think this is definitely a draw to Edmonton,” said Kunal Kolhatkar, who moved from Toronto.
According to RentCafe, they are seeing fewer people use their site to find a rental in Edmonton — a 55 per cent decrease in 2026. They point to affordability, as more renters are staying put to avoid moving costs.
“Renters are becoming much more conscious about where they want to live. Affordability is big,” said Doug Ressler, the manager of business intelligence at Yardi Matrix.
Giacomo Ladas, the communications director at rentals.ca, says, “Young Canadians are a huge population of renters, and if we look at the unemployment rates of young Canadians between 15 and 24-year-olds, the unemployment rate is around 14 per cent, which is basically more than double … When we see less people working, we see less renter activity.”
Ladas is watching the market closely, noting that with more infills being built, the supply is expected to increase, saying landlords may get desperate to attract renters, which could bring down prices even more.
“I would definitely call this a renters market, but with the expectation of rental prices to continue to come down, especially because we don’t see that spike in demand throughout the summer,” said Ladas.
Which could mean good news for renters.
“It was really hard to find a place on my own that I could afford. Anyways, I had to find a place that had multiple people, like a shared house kind of stuff,” said Sarah Dela Cruz, a renter.
