Edmonton Rent Report, September 2026

Edmonton remained one of Canada's more affordable big-city rental markets in September 2026. The average asking rent for apartments and condominiums was $1,522 per month, up 0.2% from August but down 3.2% from a year earlier, according to the Rentals.ca and Urbanation National Rent Report published October 7, 2026. Edmonton was one of three of Canada's six largest markets where rents rose month over month, alongside Vancouver and Montreal. Over the year, only Calgary (-3.9%) posted a larger decline among the six.

Nationwide, the average asking rent for apartments and condos was $2,038 in September, and the average across all property types was $2,034, down 4.2% year over year in the 24th consecutive month of annual declines. Alberta apartment and condo rents rose 0.3% from August but were down 3.4% over the year.

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 September 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, September 2026): $1,254 / month, down 3.0% year over year and down from $1,264 in August
• 1 Bedroom, furnished (liv.rent asking, September 2026): $1,398 / month, down 3.9% year over year and down from $1,413 in August
• 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 notes that Edmonton's unfurnished one-bedroom asking rents have stayed between $1,236 and $1,264 since April, consistently below the same months in 2025, and a furnished one-bedroom now rents for about $144 a month more than an unfurnished one. On Rentals.ca's apartment and condo measure, Edmonton one-bedroom units fell 4.3% over the year to $1,326 and three-bedroom units fell 1.4% to $1,981.

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, September 2026)

• Southwest: the priciest sector for an unfurnished one-bedroom at $1,345
• Northeast: the most affordable sector at $1,183, after the largest monthly decrease
• Northwest: the largest monthly increase for both unfurnished and furnished one-bedrooms
• Mixed picture: unfurnished one-bedroom rents rose in four of six sectors (Downtown, Northwest, West and Southwest) and fell only in Northeast and Southeast

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 4.5% over the year to $758 in September, according to Rentals.ca. Nationally, purpose-built rental apartments posted the smallest annual decline of any property type, down 2.7% to $2,036.

Rentals.ca's October report describes the second consecutive monthly dip in national rents as a typical seasonal occurrence, with demand ramping up in the spring and summer and fading into the fall. It sees signs of stability emerging in Toronto and Vancouver, citing peaked construction inventory and new data revisions showing that a previously reported decline in population was actually a modest increase. In the near term, it says more affordable rents and move-in incentives are releasing pent-up demand from delayed household formation. Edmonton's small September uptick, against a 3.2% annual decline, fits its pattern of smaller swings than faster-moving markets.

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 $160 a month across the city in September
• 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 October 2026 report will follow the next Rentals.ca National Rent Report, which covers October data.