Image Credit: ADOBE STOCK
January 15, 2020 - 6:00 PM
Kamloops renters have more to choose from and it's one of the few cities where prices have come down, according to the CMHC Rental Market Survey released Wednesday, Jan. 15.
There are currently 3,542 purpose-built rentals in the city, compared to 3,480 at the same time last year. With that growth in supply has come a bolstered vacancy rate. It's currently sitting at 2.1 per cent up from 1.3 per cent a year ago.
The overall rental cost has risen by about 2.7 per cent, but when you look at each segment of the purpose-built market it shows there's been a bit of improvement.
A one bedroom rented for $935 this time last year and it’s gone down to $926 this year. Two bedrooms cost $1,084 on average this year compared to $1,100 last year. A three bedroom has also gone down in price from $1,252 to 1, 203
KELOWNA
The annual rental report shows Kelowna is benefitting from a robust rental supply, but prices are still on the rise.
There are now 6,650 purpose-built rentals in the city today, versus 5,343 just a year ago.
The vacancy rate is 2.7 per cent overall, as of Oct. 2019, which is up from 1.9 per cent for the same period in 2018.
The biggest changes in the rate seem to be in the two-bedroom rental supply. It was at 0.2 per cent in 2017, 0.,9 per cent in 2018 and it grew to 2.7 per cent in 2019.
Despite a growing supply, prices also increased. A bachelor suite in Kelowna rents for $968 on average, which is an increase of eight per cent over the previous year.
One bedrooms go for an average of $1,095, which is a 4.4 cost increase, and two bedrooms rent for $1,385 which is a 2.1 per cent increase.
PENTICTON
Nothing much has happened with the rentals in Penticton. In October 2019 there were 2,307 purpose-built rentals compared to 2,232 a year ago.
The vacancy rate is sitting at 1.9 per cent, which is up from 1.7 per cent a year ago.
Prices for rentals has also been stable, year over year.
The average cost for a bachelor suite is $758, a two bedroom unit is $1,132 on average and a three bedroom is $1537.
The only area with statistically significant growth in price was a one bedroom, which now costs around $917 compared to $869 a year ago.
VERNON
Vernon's rental supply grew marginally from 2018 to 2019, as did the vacancy rate.
The vacancy rate currently sits at 1.9 per cent up from 1.5 per cent a year ago.
There are 1,605 purpose built rentals in Vernon and prices for this tight pool of rentals went up by around 4.7 per cent.
For a bachelor suite, Vernon renters pay around $720. One bedroom renters pay $861, and two bedroom renters pay $1,080 up from $944 a year ago.
If you need a three bedroom it’s on average a cost of $1,155 up from $1,019 a year ago.
THE REST
The agency said the national vacancy rate for purpose-built apartments was at 2.2 per cent, down from 2.4 per cent in 2018 for all bedroom types. The vacancy rate in condo rentals was at one per cent, down from 1.4 per cent.
Vancouver's rental vacancy rate was 1.1 per cent, Toronto and Montreal were at 1.5 per cent and Halifax was one per cent, while vacancy rates for condos were 0.3 per cent in Vancouver and 0.8 per cent in Toronto.
Prairie cities saw much higher vacancies for dedicated rentals, including Regina at 7.8 per cent, Calgary at 3.9 per cent, and Winnipeg at 3.1 per cent.
Nationally, average rents increased by 3.9 per cent for a two-bedroom rental apartment as availability tightened, the fastest pace of same-sample rent growth since 2001.
Vancouver had the highest rent for a two-bedroom apartment at $1,748 after a 4.9 per cent average increase, while for Toronto it was $1,562 after a 6.1 per cent climb. Rents were much higher in condo rentals, averaging $2,476 for a two-bedroom in Toronto, and $2,045 in Vancouver.
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