Edmonton slips to rank #12 nationally as renter interest cools

Edmonton's appeal as a rental market is cooling. The city dropped to #12 nationally in a new renter interest ranking, slipping out of the top 10 for the first time in several consecutive quarters.

RentCafe.com, a nationwide apartment search website, analyzed rental listing data across 25 Canadian cities to compile the ranking. To score each city, the research team tracked year-over-year changes across four metrics: page views, saved searches, favourited listings, and availability.

Edmonton ranked #12 with a score of 51.78, down from previous top-10 positions. The city remains a key rental market in Western Canada, although renter engagement softened year-over-year. Page views declined 55 per cent and favourited listings fell 25 per cent, suggesting renters have become more selective in their search. Saved searches also decreased 51 per cent with fewer renters actively tracking listings.

Moncton, N.B., holds the top spot for the third straight quarter as renter demand snapped back from the winter lull.

"Even with these declines, Edmonton remains a top destination for renters seeking more affordable alternatives in Western Canada," Rent Cafe noted. "Besides locals, most renters' interest in apartments in Edmonton comes from Calgary and Vancouver."

Calgary also saw a decline, slipping five positions to rank #20 nationally with a score of 41.45. Online activity cooled as new supply gave renters more options. Availability rose 13 per cent year-over-year — the largest increase among Canada's biggest cities, thanks to recently completed apartment buildings.

Notably, Alberta did not place any cities in the top 10 for the first time in more than a year. According to Yardi data, both Edmonton and Calgary now have Canada's highest apartment vacancy rates, even as Alberta posted one of the country's strongest interprovincial migration rates last year.