Edmonton Rent Report, October 2026

Edmonton remained one of Canada's more affordable big-city rental markets in October 2026. The average asking rent for apartments and condominiums was $1,510 per month, down 0.8% from September and 1.3% from a year earlier, according to the Rentals.ca and Urbanation National Rent Report published November 5, 2026. Calgary (-2.4%) posted the largest annual decline among Canada's six largest markets. Over three years, Edmonton's asking rent is up 3.4%, while it is down 4.7% over two years.

Nationwide, the average asking rent for apartments and condos was $2,041 in October, and the average across all property types was $2,036, down 3.2% year over year in the 25th consecutive month of annual declines. Alberta apartment and condo rents fell 0.8% from September and were down 1.8% over the year, to $1,662.

On the purpose-built side, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) recorded an overall apartment vacancy rate of 3.8% in October 2025. A vacancy rate in that range points to a broadly balanced market, with enough available units to give tenants real choice without the extreme tightness seen in some other Canadian cities.

The table below shows CMHC's in-place averages for Edmonton's existing purpose-built rental stock as of October 2025. All Edmonton per-bedroom cells carry CMHC's highest reliability rating. For a current read on one-bedroom asking rents, liv.rent's October 2026 report tracks unfurnished and furnished listings separately.

• Studio (CMHC, Oct 2025): $1,108 / month
• 1 Bedroom (CMHC, Oct 2025): $1,301 / month
• 1 Bedroom, unfurnished (liv.rent asking, October 2026): $1,274 / month, up 1.60% from September and down 3.26% ($43) year over year from $1,317
• 1 Bedroom, furnished (liv.rent asking, October 2026): $1,391 / month, down 0.55% from September and down 8.86% year over year
• 2 Bedroom (CMHC, Oct 2025): $1,598 / month
• 3 Bedroom+ (CMHC, Oct 2025): $1,802 / month
• All apartments (CMHC, Oct 2025): $1,493 / month

liv.rent describes $1,274 as the highest monthly figure for an Edmonton unfurnished one-bedroom so far in 2026, still below October 2025. A furnished one-bedroom now rents for about $117 a month more than an unfurnished one. On Rentals.ca's apartment and condo measure, Edmonton one-bedroom units averaged $1,315 (down 1.5% over the year), two-bedroom units $1,660 (down 2.3%) and three-bedroom units $1,981 (up 1.3%).

Central and university-adjacent neighbourhoods continue to command Edmonton's higher rents, while established suburban and outer communities offer the best value per bedroom. Walkable, amenity-rich areas near transit and the river valley have historically drawn strong demand from students, young professionals and downtown workers.

One-bedroom asking rents by sector (liv.rent, October 2026)

• Southeast: the priciest sector for an unfurnished one-bedroom at $1,379, up 7.10% from September
• Downtown: the most affordable sector at $1,228, a $151 gap from the Southeast, after a 1.40% monthly decrease
• Northeast: up 5.47% from September, the second largest monthly increase among sectors
• Year over year: five of six sectors were below October 2025, from a 3.17% decline in Downtown to a 5.37% decline in the Southwest. The Southeast was up 0.54%

Higher-priced and high-demand areas

• Downtown and Oliver (now Wîhkwêntôwin), the walkable core and office district
• Whyte Avenue / Old Strathcona, the city's lively entertainment and dining strip
• Garneau, university-adjacent and popular with students and faculty
• Windermere and the newer south-side suburbs, modern master-planned communities

Best-value areas

• Mill Woods, an established southeast community that typically lists below the core
• Clareview and the northeast, value-oriented neighbourhoods with transit access

Neighbourhood-level rent averages fluctuate month to month based on listing mix. For in-place rents by area, see the CMHC Edmonton rent tables which are updated on CMHC's schedule.

Edmonton's purpose-built rental market sat in broadly balanced territory as of CMHC's October 2025 survey, with an overall vacancy rate of 3.8%. A rate in that range gives tenants a reasonable selection of units without the pressure of an extremely tight market.

Vacancy by unit type (CMHC, October 2025)

• Studio: 3.5%
• 1 bedroom: 4.0%
• 2 bedroom: 3.8%
• 3 bedroom or more: 3.5%
• Overall: 3.8%

Vacancy is fairly even across unit types in Edmonton, a sign of a market in balance rather than one skewed toward a shortage or a glut in any single segment. Shared accommodation is softer: the average asking rent for a room in Edmonton fell 2.5% over the year to $761 in October, according to Rentals.ca. Nationally, purpose-built rental apartments posted the smallest annual decline of the three property types, down 2.1% to $2,040.

Rentals.ca's November report says Toronto and Vancouver are turning first. Both posted their first annual increase in apartment and condo asking rents after long runs of decline. It says the markets that peaked first in 2023 are the first to stabilize, and that other markets are earlier in the same cycle. Edmonton's October asking rent is still 1.3% below a year ago, but its decline is smaller than Calgary's 2.4%, and the three-year change is still positive at 3.4%.

Because Alberta has no rent control, there is no cap on how much rent can rise between tenancies. Alberta.ca confirms there is no limit on the amount of an increase, but rent can only go up once every 365 days and never during a fixed term, and a month-to-month tenant must get three full tenancy months of written notice. A written move-in inspection under Alberta's Residential Tenancies Act is the best protection for a tenant's deposit and a landlord's ability to claim for genuine damage.

What this means for renters

• Edmonton stretches a housing budget further than most large Canadian cities
• A roughly balanced 3.8% vacancy rate gives real choice across neighbourhoods
• Compare sectors: unfurnished one-bedroom asking rents varied by about $150 a month across the city in October
• Insist on a written move-in inspection to protect your deposit

What this means for landlords

• Realistic pricing matters, Edmonton renters compare across a wide, affordable market
• Quality photos and detailed listings win the competition for eyeballs
• Renewals are cheaper than turnover, offer existing tenants a fair renewal rate
• A written move-in inspection under the Alberta RTA is your best defence in a deposit dispute

SQRFT's November 2026 report will publish on the last business day of November.