Halifax Rent Report, September 2026

Halifax asking rents stayed above last year's level in September 2026 while the national average fell. Rentals.ca put the city's average asking rent across all property types at $2,324 per month, up 1.6% from a year earlier, in the city highlights of its Rentals.ca and Urbanation National Rent Report published October 7, 2026. On the same all-property-type measure, the national average was $2,034, down 4.2% year over year, and Atlantic Canada averaged $2,231, up 3.5%.

On the apartment and condo measure, Rentals.ca listed Halifax at $2,319 and Dartmouth at $2,292, both among the highest-priced markets in the country outside the six largest cities. Nova Scotia apartment and condo asking rents averaged $2,321, up 1.2% from a year earlier, the largest annual increase of any province. Over the month they fell 1.5% from August, the largest monthly decline of any province.

That monthly drop moved B.C. ($2,373) back ahead of Nova Scotia as the most expensive province for apartment and condo rents, after Nova Scotia held the top spot from May to August. Rentals.ca notes that the monthly decline in Nova Scotia was driven in part by absorption of more expensive new-build units, which had pushed up the average rent in previous months.

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

Nova Scotia three-bedroom asking rents rose 6.9% over the year to $3,010 in September, the largest increase of any province. CMHC's all-apartments average of $1,750 sits below the $2,324 asking rent because CMHC covers long-tenured tenancies in purpose-built apartments, while Rentals.ca's all-types figure covers new listings of every property type.

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 $2,292 in September, up 6.9% year over year, the fourth largest annual increase among markets outside Canada's six largest cities, after Barrie (+17.4%), Lloydminster (+11.6%) and Laval (+8.5%).

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. Rentals.ca ties Nova Scotia's September dip to the absorption of more expensive new-build units that had lifted the provincial average in earlier months, so the monthly figures can swing with how quickly new projects lease. Nationally, purpose-built rental apartments posted the smallest annual decline of any property type in September, 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, after higher rents in previous years kept prospective renters living with parents or roommates for longer.

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 October 2026 report will follow the next Rentals.ca National Rent Report, which covers October data.