Renting in North Bay in 2026

North Bay is a city of 52,662 residents as of the 2021 Census, sitting on the shore of Lake Nipissing roughly 3.5 hours north of Toronto. It's the largest city in Ontario's Near North and functions as the region's hub for healthcare, government services, and post-secondary education.

The rental market is shaped by two post-secondary schools — Canadore College and Nipissing University, both with campuses in the city — alongside a large regional hospital and a Canadian Forces base that bring in a steady base of working renters. Housing stock ranges from student-oriented apartments and houses near the college and university campuses to family homes spread through North Bay's residential neighbourhoods, with the downtown core and waterfront seeing more apartment and condo development in recent years.

The local economy runs on the following:

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  North Bay Regional Health Centre (regional hospital, one of the area's largest employers)
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  Canadore College and Nipissing University (post-secondary anchors)
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  CFB North Bay (Canadian Armed Forces base, home of NORAD's Canadian air defence sector)
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  Municipal, provincial, and federal government offices
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  Regional retail and healthcare services for the wider Near North area

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  Lake Nipissing waterfront and Government Dock
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  North Bay Waterfront Trail
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  Discovery North Bay Museum (Canadian Forces heritage)
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  Kate Pace Way multi-use trail along the lakeshore

Every rental in North Bay 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
• Near North District School Board
• Nipissing-Parry Sound Catholic District School Board
• Conseil scolaire catholique Franco-Nord
• Conseil scolaire public du Nord-Est de l'Ontario
• Ontario LTB