Halifax Rent Report, October 2026

Halifax asking rents climbed further above last year's level in October 2026 while the national average kept falling. Rentals.ca put the city's average apartment and condo asking rent at $2,423 per month, up 5.8% from a year earlier, in its Rentals.ca and Urbanation National Rent Report published November 5, 2026. Across all property types, the national average was $2,036, down 3.2% year over year, the 25th consecutive month of annual decline. Atlantic Canada averaged $2,297 across all property types, up 6.2%.

Nova Scotia apartment and condo asking rents averaged $2,421, up 5.6% from a year earlier, making it the only province with an annual increase. They rose 4.3% from September and are up 15.5% over three years. The city table in the same report lists Halifax at $2,424 across all property types, a separate series from the apartment and condo figure.

Nova Scotia's average of $2,421 is above British Columbia's $2,371 on the apartment and condo measure. Nationally, apartment and condo asking rents averaged $2,041 and purpose-built rental apartments averaged $2,040, down 2.1% from a year earlier.

Vacancy remains low. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) recorded a purpose-built rental vacancy rate of 2.6% in October 2025, its most recent authoritative survey.

The table below shows CMHC's in-place averages for the existing purpose-built stock as of October 2025. These reflect what sitting tenants pay across the market, held down in part by Nova Scotia's 5% cap on existing tenancies.

• Studio (CMHC, Oct 2025): $1,362 / month
• 1 Bedroom (CMHC, Oct 2025): $1,539 / month
• 2 Bedroom (CMHC, Oct 2025): $1,828 / month
• 3 Bedroom+ (CMHC, Oct 2025): $2,254 / month
• All apartments (CMHC, Oct 2025): $1,750 / month

Rentals.ca's city table lists Halifax at $2,057 for a one-bedroom and $2,608 for a two-bedroom across all property types, up 1.2% and 0.4% from a year earlier. Nova Scotia three-bedroom apartment and condo asking rents rose 6.0% over the year to $2,961 in October. CMHC's all-apartments average of $1,750 sits well below the asking rents because CMHC covers long-tenured tenancies in purpose-built apartments, while Rentals.ca covers new listings.

The Halifax peninsula and downtown command the highest rents in the region, with the North End a popular and increasingly sought-after area and the South End anchored by Dalhousie University and other campuses.

Higher-priced areas

• Downtown Halifax and the peninsula, walkable core with premium demand
• North End, popular established community with strong renter interest
• South End, university-adjacent near Dalhousie, steady student and professional demand

Off-peninsula areas

• Halifax West and Clayton Park, established apartment communities off the peninsula
• Bedford and Sackville, suburban communities with more supply and moderate rents

Dartmouth

Across the harbour, Rentals.ca reported Dartmouth apartment and condo asking rents at $2,420 in October, up 15.1% year over year, the largest annual increase among markets outside Canada's six largest cities.

Neighborhood-level rent averages fluctuate based on listing mix. For current rents by CMHC zone, see the CMHC neighborhood rent tables, which are updated on CMHC's schedule.

Halifax vacancy remained low in the October 2025 CMHC survey, and tightest for the largest units.

Vacancy by unit type (CMHC, October 2025)

• Studio: 2.8%
• 1 bedroom: 3.3%
• 2 bedroom: 2.3%
• 3 bedroom or more: 1.8%
• Overall: 2.6%

New supply is shaping what renters see on the market. Monthly asking-rent figures can swing with how quickly new projects lease, which is one reason a single month should be read alongside the annual change. Nationally, purpose-built rental apartments averaged $2,040 in October, down 2.1% from a year earlier.

Rentals.ca's November report points to Toronto and Vancouver turning first, with the first annual increases after long runs of decline. It says markets that peaked first in 2023 are stabilizing first, while other markets sit earlier in the same cycle. Halifax and Nova Scotia are the exception on the annual measure, still above last year's level while the national average falls.

Nova Scotia caps rent increases on existing tenancies at 5% a year until December 31, 2027, and requires four months' written notice. With asking rents still above last year's level, the gap between what sitting tenants pay and what new listings ask tends to widen on turnover.

What this means for renters

• The 5% cap protects existing tenancies, so staying put is often cheaper than moving
• Moving means facing current asking rents, which sit above in-place averages
• Compare areas and unit sizes carefully, since listing mix moves the averages
• Insist on a written move-in inspection to protect your deposit

What this means for landlords

• Increases on existing tenancies are capped at 5% a year until December 31, 2027
• Give four months' written notice of any rent increase
• Renewals within the cap are cheaper than turnover
• Quality photos and detailed listings still win the competition for good tenants

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