Renting in Brandon in 2026

Brandon is Manitoba's second-largest city, with 51,313 people in Statistics Canada's 2021 Census. It sits on the Assiniboine River along the Trans-Canada Highway, about 211 km west of Winnipeg, and serves as the main city for the Westman region of southwestern Manitoba. At that distance it is a regional centre in its own right, not a commuter town for Winnipeg.

The job base is broad for a city this size. Food and agricultural processing (Maple Leaf Foods, Saputo, Koch Fertilizer) and manufacturing (Behlen Industries) sit alongside health care, Brandon University and Assiniboine College. CFB Shilo, about 35 km east, adds military households to the mix. Students, plant workers and base families all draw on the same rental stock, so demand tends to hold up through the year.

The local economy runs on the following:

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  Maple Leaf Foods, pork processing
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  Koch Fertilizer, nitrogen fertilizer production, with roughly 300 employees on site
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  Saputo, Manitoba's largest dairy processor
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  Behlen Industries, steel buildings and agricultural equipment
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  Brandon University and Assiniboine College, the city's two post-secondary schools
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  Brandon Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's research farm

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  The Keystone Centre, a large events and agriculture complex that hosts the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair
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  The Riverbank Discovery Centre and the trail network along the Assiniboine River
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  The Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum at Brandon Municipal Airport

Every rental in Brandon is governed by the Manitoba Residential Tenancies Act. Key rules that apply regardless of town size:

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  Most rent increases are capped by the annual provincial guideline.Landlords must give three months' written notice and can only raise rent once every 12 months. Some units, such as newer buildings and higher-rent units, are exempt from the guideline.
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  Security deposits capped at half a month's rent.Returned with interest (0.5% a year) within 14 days after the tenancy ends, or within 28 days if the landlord claims part of it in writing.
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  Landlord entry requires at least 24 hours' written notice.And only for a reason the provincial Act allows, such as an inspection or repairs. Emergencies are the exception.
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  Disputes go to the Residential Tenancies Branch.Manitoba's RTB handles applications and orders from both landlords and tenants.
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  A condition report is required if either side asks for one.Landlord and tenant then inspect at move-in and move-out, and both sign the report. The tenant gets a copy.

Deep guides for each of these topics are in the SQRFT guide library.

• Statistics Canada 2021 Census Profile
• Brandon School Division
• Manitoba RTB