Renting in Cornwall in 2026

Cornwall is a city of 47,845 residents as of the 2021 Census, up 2.7% from 46,589 in 2016. It's a single-tier city on the St. Lawrence River, geographically within the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry but administered independently of them, and serves as the counties' seat. Cornwall sits roughly 1.5 hours from both Ottawa and Montreal, and connects directly to Massena, NY via the Seaway International Bridge, making it one of the few Ontario small cities within a short drive of two major cities and an international border crossing.

The local economy centres on large-scale logistics (Walmart Canada and Shoppers Drug Mart distribution centres), Cornwall Community Hospital, food processing, and Seaway-related industry including the R.H. Saunders hydroelectric station. Cornwall Island and the Akwesasne Mohawk Territory sit just south of the city, a distinct, self-governed community with close economic and cross-border ties to Cornwall. The waterfront Lamoureux Park anchors a downtown core, while the city's Ottawa/Montreal position and lower housing costs continue to draw commuters and renters from both directions.

The local economy runs on the following:

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  Walmart Canada logistics/distribution centre — a roughly 1.5 million sq ft facility and the region's largest private-sector employer
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  Shoppers Drug Mart / Pharmaprix distribution centre — services Eastern Ontario and Quebec stores
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  Cornwall Community Hospital
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  Olymel — food processing/manufacturing
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  St. Lawrence College, Cornwall campus
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  Ontario Power Generation — R.H. Saunders Generating Station, a Seaway-related hydroelectric facility

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  Lamoureux Park — the largest waterfront park in Eastern Ontario, on the St. Lawrence River
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  Cornwall Aquatic Centre, inside Lamoureux Park
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  Cornwall Canal historic site (in use 1834-1968, largely filled in to create Lamoureux Park; marked by an Ontario historical plaque at Lock 20)
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  Seaway International Bridge / Three Nations Crossing to Massena, NY

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

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  Rent increases are capped by the annual provincial guideline.Most existing tenancies can only be raised once every 12 months, up to that year's guideline percentage, with 90 days' written notice.
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  No separate damage deposit.Landlords may only collect last month's rent as a deposit; it cannot be used for damage.
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  Landlord entry requires 24 hours' written notice.For repairs, showings, or inspections.
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  Disputes go to the LTB.Ontario's Landlord and Tenant Board handles applications from both landlords and tenants.
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  No legally required move-in inspection report.A written move-in inspection is good practice but is not an Ontario RTA requirement.

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

• Statistics Canada 2021 Census Profile
• Upper Canada District School Board
• Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario
• Ontario LTB