Is SQRFT a rental platform, or does it also list homes for sale?

SQRFT is a rental-only platform. Searches like "apartments for sale Saint John" describe buying a home, a different market with different listings, financing, and legal process than renting. Every listing on SQRFT is a rental unit.

What is the rental market like in Saint John right now?

Saint John's vacancy rate rose to 4.0 percent in CMHC's most recent annual Rental Market Survey at the time, comfortably within CMHC's own 3-to-5-percent healthy-market benchmark and looser than either Moncton (3.8 percent) or Fredericton (0.9 percent). An aging rental stock and slower population growth relative to Moncton are among the reasons Saint John's market has stayed more balanced.

How much notice does my landlord need to give to raise my rent in New Brunswick?

New Brunswick requires landlords to give at least 90 days' written notice before a rent increase takes effect, and increases are capped at 3 percent for most tenancies under the province's current rent cap. Always confirm the current cap against the Province of New Brunswick's own published rules before treating any figure as final.

How does a security deposit work in Saint John?

New Brunswick landlords can collect a security deposit of up to one month's rent. At the end of the tenancy, the landlord has 7 days to return the deposit or apply to the Tenancy and Landlord Relations Office (TLRO) to keep some or all of it. A written condition report at move-in and move-out is the strongest evidence if a deposit dispute arises later.

How do I dispute my landlord at New Brunswick's TLRO?

New Brunswick's landlord-tenant disputes go before the Tenancy and Landlord Relations Office (TLRO). Bring your tenancy agreement, all written correspondence, photos or your condition report, and any notices you received or served. New Brunswick also uniquely requires a landlord to get officer approval before evicting a tenant to carry out major renovations.

Can my landlord enter without notice?

Not for routine reasons. New Brunswick requires landlords to give at least 24 hours' written notice before entering for a reasonable purpose (repairs, showings, inspections). Genuine emergencies are the main exception.

How much notice do I get if my landlord wants to end my tenancy?

For a periodic month-to-month tenancy, a landlord must give at least 30 days' notice, matching the tenant's own 30-day notice requirement. A longer 90-day notice period applies once a tenancy has run long enough to qualify. For a fixed-term lease, either party generally needs to give notice at least 30 days before the term's end date.

Saint John, New Brunswick Canada

Rentals Saint John: Renting in Saint John in 2026

Real neighbourhoods, real answers. The complete SQRFT guide for renters and landlords navigating New Brunswick's port-city rental market.

Browse Saint John rentals

Vacancy rate

4.0%

CMHC, most recent survey

Rent increase notice

90 days

Province of New Brunswick

Rent increase cap

Province of New Brunswick

Security deposit cap

1 month's rent

Province of New Brunswick

FFrancis, SQRFT TeamCanadian Rental Market Analysts, SQRFT Editorial Team Updated September 21, 2026 11 min read

Section 1

What Saint John rents look like in mid-2026

Saint John's census metropolitan area vacancy rate rose to 4.0 percent in the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation's (CMHC) most recent annual Rental Market Survey at the time -- comfortably inside CMHC's own 3-to-5-percent healthy-market range, and looser than either Moncton (3.8 percent) or Fredericton (0.9 percent), New Brunswick's other two major rental markets.

4.0%

Purpose-built rental vacancy, most recent CMHC survey

CMHC

90 days

Rent-increase notice required

Province of New Brunswick

Statutory rent-increase cap

Province of New Brunswick

SQRFT could not confirm a Saint John-specific CMHC average-rent dollar figure from a live source at build time. Rather than publish an unconfirmed number, this page will be updated with the exact CMHC average once independently verified.

The practical read

Saint John is the most balanced of New Brunswick's three major rental markets right now. Renters have more room to negotiate here than in Moncton or Fredericton, and landlords should price competitively rather than assume Moncton-level demand.

Section 2

Where Saint Johners rent: the neighbourhood guide

Saint John's neighbourhoods split across Uptown's peninsula core and the North End, East Side, and West Side beyond it.

Uptown

Renting in Uptown, Saint John.

North End

Renting in North End, Saint John.

East Side

Renting in East Side, Saint John.

West Side

Renting in West Side, Saint John.

Uptown vs. the rest of the city

Uptown is Saint John's walkable peninsula core, closest to the Saint John City Market and the harbour. The North End, East Side, and West Side each have their own commercial strips and tend to offer more space for the money, at the cost of a longer commute into Uptown.

Section 3

Saint John schools and school boards

Where you live decides which public school your kids attend.

The public school board

Anglophone South School District

ASD-S

Serves families across its catchment area with designated schools plus alternative and specialized programs.

How to find a school for your address

1
Confirm your catchment first.Anglophone South School District (ASD-S) covers Saint John; confirm the designated school for your exact address.
2
Use the board's school locator.Enter the address on the board's own site to find the designated school for each grade level.
3
Check whether the school is capped.Popular schools can close to non-designated students in growing areas.
4
Confirm before you sign the lease.School-driven address decisions do not have a rewind button, especially mid-school-year.

Section 4

Saint John universities and post-secondary

Saint John is home to a UNB satellite campus focused on health sciences and applied programs.

University of New Brunswick Saint John

UNBSJ

Students concentrate in neighbourhoods within walking or short-transit distance of the UNBSJ campus.

A smaller student market than Fredericton or Moncton

UNBSJ's student population is smaller than UNB Fredericton or Université de Moncton, so Saint John's rental market is driven more by the port, healthcare, and Irving-related employment than by a fall leasing rush.

Section 5

Getting around Saint John

Saint John Transit runs the city's bus network across the peninsula and the surrounding East, West, and North sides.

The essentials

•
Saint John Transit buses:the bus network connects Uptown to the North End, East Side, and West Side, with the harbour bridge and causeway linking the west side to the peninsula.
•
Saint John City Market:one of Canada's oldest continuously running markets, anchoring Uptown's walkable core.
•
Port Saint John:a major economic driver of the city and a significant local employer.
•
Highway access:Route 1 and Route 7 connect Saint John to Fredericton and the US border, a factor for renters commuting across the province.

Section 6

What it costs to live in Saint John in 2026

Rent is the biggest line, but not the only one. Here's how Saint John stacks up.

Where Saint John wins

•
A looser vacancy rate.At 4.0 percent, Saint John renters generally have more choice and negotiating room than in Moncton or Fredericton.
•
A capped rent increase.New Brunswick's 3 percent statutory cap is a real ceiling most other Atlantic provinces don't have.

Where Saint John is expensive

•
Older housing stock.Much of Saint John's rental supply is older than Moncton's, which can mean higher heating and maintenance-related costs for tenants in older buildings.
•
Fog and damp winters.The Bay of Fundy's cooling, foggy climate can mean a real heating bill for anyone not on an all-inclusive lease.

For live monthly cost-of-living data, Statistics Canada's Consumer Price Index release publishes the Saint John CMA component broken down by category.

Section 7

Saint John events, culture, and why people love it here

Saint John's calendar runs from a late-summer waterfront festival to the natural spectacle of the Reversing Falls, anchored by the Saint John City Market and a working harbour that still shapes daily life in the city.

Major annual events

Saint John Festival by the Sea

August

A signature Saint John event drawing crowds from across the region.

Saint John's climate

Humid continental/oceanic climate

Cooler and foggier than inland NB due to the Bay of Fundy

Environment Canada 1991-2020

Saint John Airport

Climate normals station

Saint John's junior hockey

Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL)

Saint John's major junior hockey franchise.

Section 8

Renting in Saint John: New Brunswick tenancy law essentials

These rules apply to every Saint John rental, set out in New Brunswick's Residential Tenancies Act and enforced by the Tenancy and Landlord Relations Office (TLRO). Bookmark this section.

The common rule of thumb is 30 percent of gross monthly income on housing (rent plus utilities). Saint John's vacancy rate has loosened compared to Fredericton and Moncton, which generally means more room to negotiate and more choice, but always budget against your actual take-home income, not the rule of thumb alone.

Try the free rent affordability calculator →

Section 9

Live Saint John rentals on SQRFT

Browse listings across Saint John neighbourhoods. All listings verified. Free to list.

Browse Saint John listings

Pricing

What should Saint John rent cost?

Get a free rent estimate

SQRFT Rent Estimator

See a data-driven rent range for your Saint John property based on our Canadian rental market model.

Sources

Rentals Saint John: Renting in Saint John in 2026

What Saint John rents look like in mid-2026

Where Saint Johners rent: the neighbourhood guide

Saint John schools and school boards

The public school board

How to find a school for your address

Saint John universities and post-secondary

Getting around Saint John

The essentials

What it costs to live in Saint John in 2026

Where Saint John wins

Where Saint John is expensive

Saint John events, culture, and why people love it here

Major annual events

Saint John's climate

Saint John's junior hockey

Renting in Saint John: New Brunswick tenancy law essentials

Live Saint John rentals on SQRFT

Related SQRFT content

What should Saint John rent cost?

Where these numbers come from