Rent for 1-Bedroom in Toronto Dips Back Below $2300 in February

Torontonians struggling to make ends meet during the COVID-19 pandemic have gotten some respite for their housing concerns: last week, the province suspended evictions, and now, it looks like rental rates in the city are finally starting to drop.

According to the latest monthly rental report from Rentals.ca, the average 1-bedroom apartment in Toronto has dropped from its previous $2300+ threshold first hit in January and is now sitting at $2240, a -3.2% drop from the first month of the year.

In February, the average rent per square foot in certain areas of Toronto was the highest in Yorkville and the Annex at $5.11 per square foot. Year over year, the largest increase in average rent per square foot was 4.6% to $4.07 per square foot in the south core and central Harbourfront.

Despite rates dropping in Toronto last month, on a provincial level, Ontario still had the highest rental rates in February, with landlords seeking $2,212 per month on average for all property types. British Columbia had the second-highest rental rate at $1,885 per month, while Newfoundland and Labrador had the lowest at $927.

What’s more, the rental market softened considerably across the country in February, with the national rental rate dropping 3% month over month and 3.4% year over year, with the average monthly rent hitting $1,823 in Canada last month.

And while rentals.ca says it might be too early to attribute the February decline to COVID-19 worries, after a strong spring and summer for rent growth in 2019, rates have definitely trended downward nationally.

Furthermore, Matt Danison, CEO of rentals.ca, says he believes there’s going to also be a “drop-off” of walk-in showings for apartments across Canada during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Landlords and property managers will need to embrace virtual leasing as much as possible to keep their staff and potential renters safe during this difficult time. Rentals.ca has committed to help by significantly lowering the cost of 3-D and virtual tours until July 1 to help with social distancing.”