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Written By
Steve Tustin
Mar 6, 2025
•Housing
Finding affordable rental accommodation in Canada can be challenging for newcomers and international students. While finding a short-term rental before you arrive is an important first step, the hard work is finding the first long-term rental you can afford.
Researching the rental market before you arrive will help you compete in Canada’s tight, low-vacancy rental markets. Get a helpful overview of Canada’s rental market and tips to prepare for a successful housing search!
Rental prices in Canada soared in recent years and only recently started to fall. That trend, experts say, will continue throughout 2025.
As Canadian renters left more expensive cities such as Toronto and Vancouver searching for cheaper rent, prices rose in Edmonton, Saskatoon, Regina, and Halifax. While rental prices are decreasing in many cities, the cost of accommodation in Canada remains an issue.
Many newcomers turn to Rentals for Newcomers (RFN) to find accommodation in Canada.
So why has this site become so popular with newcomers seeking their first rental home in Canada?
Simply put, RFN helps people avoid the headaches, heartaches, and expenses of their rental search by promoting landlords who value newcomers.
For immigrants arriving in Canada’s competitive rental market, sites like Rentals for Newcomers are invaluable. Plus, it’s FREE, but you must create an account!
Registering allows you to connect with landlords.
“Rentals For Newcomers is a great example of a partner agency,” said Jesse Greenwell, head of Communications Culture and Inclusivity at Mainstreet Equity Corp. Mainstreet is a leading real estate company for mid-market rentals in Western Canada, “which can help prepare newcomers for Canada’s rental market.”
RFN is also part of Rentsync, a North American market leader for property technology. This gives RFN access to the latest rental technology, tools, insights, and trends.
Newcomers looking to find accommodation in Canada must research the rental market before and after arriving. Canadian landlords won’t rent to you before you land, but knowing the rental landscape can help you find your first home more quickly. Rentals for Newcomers is a great place to research and find that rental.
In addition to hosting rental listings from across Canada, Rentals for Newcomers provides:
Dave Frattini, Managing Partner, Prepare for Canada and Rentals for Newcomers, says RFN is an invaluable tool to give you a head start finding a rental.
“Searching for affordable accommodation in Canada is more difficult than ever for newcomers,” said Frattini. He advises newcomers to prepare to find accommodation in Canada by:
Frattini emphasizes that “newcomers need to prepare to meet landlords because they have the pick of the crop when it comes to affordable rentals in prime locations.”
Using Rentsync’s rental technology software network to verify landlords, Rentals for Newcomers ensures that scam listings are not on its site to protect newcomers. Sites such as Craigslist and Kijiji are vulnerable to rental scam artists targeting newcomers and students.
“Importantly, our listings are well managed,” said Frattini. “The platform is driven digitally and manually. Rentsync knows the landlords that are listing on Rentals for Newcomers.” Frattini added, “We educate our audience about scam alerts. Through Rentals for Newcomers’ blog posts, we update our audience about scams in the rental market.”
Searching for your first home in Canada? Join this exclusive session for key insights on housing market conditions, affordable options, and renting without credit history. Tailored for newcomers settling in the next six month, register now for valuable tips and a free guide!
REGISTER FOR THE WEBINARAlthough rent prices are slowly decreasing and vacancy rates are improving, finding affordable accommodation in Canada remains challenging for newcomers. Experts say this trend will continue throughout 2025. So, it’s vital to research and prepare to find your first long-term rental. Using Rentals for Newcomers can make your search easier, and faster, and help you avoid rental scams.
WRITTEN BY
Steve Tustin
Senior Editor, Prepare for Canada
Steve Tustin is the Editor for Rentals for Newcomers and a contributing editor for Prepare for Canada. He is also the former managing editor of Storeys.com and a former senior editor at the Globe and Mail and the Toronto Star.
© Prepare for Canada 2025
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