Rents are dropping across Canada, but they’re falling more in tariff-hit cities

CONSUMER Rents are dropping across Canada, but they’re falling more in tariff-hit cities By Uday Rana Global News Posted September 22, 2026 3:15 pm 2 min read Starting this week, Canada imposed retaliatory tariffs on billions of dollars' worth of U.S. goods, in direct response to Washington's decision to slap 50 per cent tariffs on a wide range of Canadian products. These counter-tariffs affect hundreds of everyday items, and many Canadians are now wondering how this will affect household budgets. Personal finance expert Rubina Ahmed-Haq joins our Miranda Anthistle with what the new tariffs mean for Canadians' wallets – Sep 10, 2026 LEAVE A COMMENT SHARE THIS ITEM ON FACEBOOK SHARE THIS ITEM ON X SEND THIS PAGE TO SOMEONE VIA EMAIL SEE MORE SHARING OPTIONS DESCREASE ARTICLE FONT SIZE INCREASE ARTICLE FONT SIZE Average asking rents across Canada have been falling for almost two years now, but a new factor is affecting some markets more than others – a fresh round of tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump. While rents are going down everywhere, they are plummeting much faster in cities and towns most exposed to trade with the U.S., new analysis by Rentals.Ca and Urbanation has found. The report looks at rents in the 10 most exposed markets according to a list compiled by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s Business Data Lab, which ranks 41 metro areas by exposure to U.S. tariffs, combining a city’s export intensity with its dependence on the U.S. as an export destination. Calgary and Lethbridge in Alberta, Trois-Riveres in Quebec and Windsor, Kitchner-Cambridge-Waterloo Brantford, Guelph, Hamilton, Thunder Bay and Oshawa in Ontario were the most tariff-exposed rental markets in Canada, according to the report. STORY CONTINUES BELOW ADVERTISEMENT Oshawa, a major auto manufacturing hub in southern Ontario, saw average asking rents for all property types decline by 10.8 per cent since January 2025. Get breaking Montreal news Get breaking Montreal news delivered to your inbox as it happens so you won't miss a trending story. SIGN UP FOR BREAKING MONTREAL NEWSLETTER GET STARTED BY PROVIDING YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS, YOU HAVE READ AND AGREE TO GLOBAL NEWS' TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY. “Rents in the 10 most tariff-exposed cities have fallen nearly four times faster than in the least-exposed ones since January 2025,” the report said. The 10 cities least exposed to tariffs are Vancouver, St. John’s, NL, Saskatoon, Halifax, Victoria, B.C., Regina,…