What's typically included in St. Catharines rent?

Older buildings near downtown and the Brock University area commonly include heat and water, with tenants covering their own electricity and internet. Basement apartments, common throughout the Niagara region's older housing stock, are usually all-inclusive. Always confirm exactly what's covered in writing on the Ontario Standard Lease before signing.

What is Ontario's rent increase guideline for 2026 and 2027?

For most units first occupied on or before November 15, 2018 (Ontario's rent control cutoff), annual increases at renewal are capped by a guideline the provincial government publishes every year. The guideline is 2.1 percent for 2026 and 1.9 percent for 2027. Landlords seeking an increase above the guideline generally need approval from the Landlord and Tenant Board (an Above Guideline Increase application), typically justified by capital expenditures, extraordinary utility cost increases, or municipal tax increases. Units first occupied after November 15, 2018 are exempt from the guideline entirely.

How does a security deposit work in Ontario?

Ontario does not allow a traditional damage deposit the way most other provinces do. Landlords can only collect a rent deposit equal to at most one month's rent (or one rental period's rent if shorter), and it must be applied as the payment for your last month of tenancy, not held separately and refunded afterward. Ontario landlords cannot charge a separate damage or pet deposit. If damage occurs beyond normal wear and tear, the landlord's recourse is to apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board directly, not to deduct from a deposit that does not exist for that purpose.

Does my St. Catharines landlord have to use the Ontario Standard Lease?

Yes, for most private residential tenancies entered into on or after April 30, 2018. The Ontario Standard Lease is a mandatory government form. If a landlord does not provide it within 21 days of a tenant's written request, the tenant can withhold one month's rent, and the landlord loses the right to collect it once the form is provided. Some tenancy types are exempt (care homes, social housing, some co-ops), but the large majority of St. Catharines apartment and house rentals must use this form.

How do I dispute my landlord at the Landlord and Tenant Board?

The Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) is Ontario's tribunal for residential tenancy disputes, covering everything from illegal rent increases and maintenance issues to eviction applications. The LTB carries a significant multi-year backlog, and hearings can take months to be scheduled. Bring your Ontario Standard Lease, all written correspondence with your landlord, photos or inspection records, and any notices you received or served. LTB orders are binding and enforceable, including through the Ontario Court of Justice or Superior Court where needed.

Can my landlord enter without notice?

No, with narrow exceptions. Ontario's Residential Tenancies Act requires landlords to give at least 24 hours' written notice before entering for a reasonable purpose (repairs, inspections, showings to prospective tenants or buyers), and entry must occur between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Emergencies (fire, flood, gas leak) are the main exception where notice is not required. Repeated no-notice entries can be raised with the Landlord and Tenant Board as a breach of the tenancy.

What if my landlord wants to sell the property?

A sale does not automatically end your tenancy. The new owner takes over the existing lease on the same terms. The one major exception is if the new owner (or an immediate family member) intends to personally move in, in which case the landlord must serve a valid Landlord's Own Use notice with the correct notice period and, since recent amendments, compensation requirements. Showings for a sale still require the standard 24 hours' written notice, same as any other entry.

St. Catharines, Ontario Canada

Living and Renting in St. Catharines in 2026

Real rents, real neighborhoods, real answers. The complete SQRFT guide for renters and landlords in the Niagara Region's largest city.

Browse St. Catharines rentals

Avg 2BR

$1,527

CMHC, Oct 2025 (CMA)

Vacancy rate

3.9%

CMHC, Oct 2025 (CMA)

Population

438,226

StatCan, 2024 (CMA)

Universities

Brock, Niagara College

FFrancis, SQRFT TeamCanadian Rental Market Analysts, SQRFT Editorial Team Updated September 20, 2026 9 min read

Section 1

What St. Catharines rents look like in late 2025

St. Catharines is the largest city in the Niagara Region, known as "the Garden City." According to the CMHC Fall 2025 Rental Market Report (based on an October 2025 survey), the average rent for a purpose-built two-bedroom apartment in the St. Catharines-Niagara CMA was $1,527 per month, up 5.5 percent year over year, with a vacancy rate of 3.9 percent.

$1,527

Average 2-bedroom, in-place

CMHC · Oct 2025

3.9%

Purpose-built rental vacancy

CMHC · Oct 2025

Note: this figure covers the whole St. Catharines-Niagara CMA (which includes Niagara Falls, Welland, and other Niagara Region municipalities), not St. Catharines alone — CMHC does not break the survey out by individual municipality within the CMA. Rentals.ca's National Rent Report does not currently name St. Catharines either. We will not estimate or borrow a number to fill that gap.

The practical read

St. Catharines remains meaningfully more affordable than the GTA, though 5.5 percent year-over-year growth is one of the faster increases among Ontario's CMHC-covered CMAs, driven in part by Niagara's wine-tourism economy and steady demand from Brock University.

Section 2

Where people rent in St. Catharines

St. Catharines anchors the Niagara wine and tourism economy and Brock University, distinct from and not a satellite of Hamilton or Toronto despite its proximity to both.

Largest city in the Niagara Region, known as "the Garden City," anchoring the Niagara wine and tourism economy and Brock University, distinct from and not a satellite of Hamilton or Toronto despite proximity.

Landmarks that anchor each area

Welland Canal (Lock 3 viewing complex)

A defining St. Catharines landmark renters use to orient themselves by area.

Twelve Mile Creek / Henley Island

A defining St. Catharines landmark renters use to orient themselves by area.

Niagara wine region (dozens of wineries within a 20-minute drive)

A defining St. Catharines landmark renters use to orient themselves by area.

SQRFT is building out detailed neighborhood-level pages across St. Catharines. In the meantime, browse live listings from the rentals index and filter by area.

Section 3

St. Catharines schools and school boards

Where you live decides which public school your kids attend.

The two boards

District School Board of Niagara

DSBN

Serves families across the Niagara Region with designated catchment schools plus alternative and specialized programs.

Niagara Catholic District School Board

NCDSB

Serves families across the Niagara Region with designated catchment schools plus alternative and specialized programs.

How to find a school for your address

1
Use the board's school locator first.Enter the address on the DSBN or Niagara Catholic site and it returns the designated school for each grade level.
2
Check whether the school is capped.Growing pockets near new residential development can see designated schools close to non-catchment students.
3
Confirm before you sign the lease.School-driven address decisions do not have a rewind button once you have committed to a lease term.

Public vs Catholic vs private

•
Public (DSBN):free, catchment-based, the Niagara Region's largest school board.
•
Catholic (NCDSB):free, catchment-based, priority for baptized Catholic families with some open enrolment for others.
•
Private schools:a small presence, concentrated in the downtown core and surrounding suburbs.

Section 4

St. Catharines universities and post-secondary

Brock University and Niagara College together enroll roughly 31,000 students.

Brock University

~19,000 students

Brock

Students concentrate in neighborhoods within walking or short-transit distance of Brock.

Niagara College (Welland campus, serves the region)

~12,000 students

Niagara College

Students concentrate in neighborhoods within walking or short-transit distance of Niagara College.

Timing tip

Rentals near Brock University hit peak demand in August and September as students sign leases for the fall semester.

Section 5

Getting around St. Catharines

St. Catharines Transit Commission runs the city's local bus network.

The essentials

•
GO Transit Niagara Falls line seasonal/weekend service extends through St. Catharines toward Niagara Falls

Getting to Toronto

GO Transit does not currently run year-round rail service to St. Catharines. Commuters to the GTA typically rely on GO or intercity bus connections from Niagara Falls or St. Catharines' own bus terminal, or drive via the QEW.

Section 6

What it costs to live in St. Catharines in 2026

Rent is the biggest line, but not the only one. Here's how St. Catharines' fixed costs stack against the rest of Ontario.

Where St. Catharines wins

•
More affordable than the GTA.St. Catharines-Niagara's average two-bedroom rent of $1,527 is meaningfully below Toronto and most GTA suburbs.
•
Reasonable vacancy.A 3.9 percent vacancy rate gives renters more choice than in the tightest GTA markets.
•
No separate damage deposit required.Ontario law caps the move-in deposit at one month's rent applied to your last month, unlike provinces requiring a separate refundable damage deposit.

Where St. Catharines is expensive

•
HST.Ontario charges 13 percent HST (combined federal and provincial sales tax).
•
Fast-rising rents.5.5 percent year-over-year growth outpaces many other Ontario CMAs, driven by wine-tourism and university demand.
•
Limited GO rail access.Commuters to Toronto without year-round GO rail service may pay more in bus fare, driving costs, or time.

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

Section 7

St. Catharines events, culture, and why people love it here

The last section before we get to the practical answers. If you're deciding whether to move to St. Catharines in the first place, this is what tips the scale.

St. Catharines sits at the heart of Ontario's wine country, with dozens of wineries within a 20-minute drive and a Niagara Peninsula microclimate milder than most of the province.

Major annual events

Royal Canadian Henley Regatta

August, Henley Island

A signature St. Catharines event drawing large crowds citywide.

Niagara Grape and Wine Festival

September

A signature St. Catharines event drawing large crowds citywide.

St. Catharines' climate

Humid continental, milder than most of Ontario due to Niagara Peninsula microclimate that also supports the region's wine industry (January average low around -5°C), warm summers (July average high 27°C).

St. Catharines' professional sports

Niagara IceDogs (OHL)

St. Catharines' major junior hockey franchise.

Section 8

Renting in St. Catharines: Ontario tenancy law essentials

These rules apply to every St. Catharines rental. Bookmark this section.

The common rule of thumb is 30 percent of gross monthly income on housing (rent plus utilities). On CMHC's St. Catharines-Niagara CMA average two-bedroom rent of $1,527, that means a gross household income of roughly $61,000 a year to stay within that guideline. St. Catharines remains more affordable than the GTA, though Niagara's wine-tourism economy and Brock University both add steady rental demand.

Try the free rent affordability calculator →

Section 9

Live St. Catharines rentals on SQRFT

Browse listings across St. Catharines neighborhoods. All listings verified. Free to list.

Browse St. Catharines listings

Pricing

What should St. Catharines rent cost?

Get a free rent estimate

SQRFT Rent Estimator

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

Sources

Living and Renting in St. Catharines in 2026

What St. Catharines rents look like in late 2025

Where people rent in St. Catharines

Landmarks that anchor each area

St. Catharines schools and school boards

The two boards

How to find a school for your address

Public vs Catholic vs private

St. Catharines universities and post-secondary

Getting around St. Catharines

The essentials

What it costs to live in St. Catharines in 2026

Where St. Catharines wins

Where St. Catharines is expensive

St. Catharines events, culture, and why people love it here

Major annual events

St. Catharines' climate

St. Catharines' professional sports

Renting in St. Catharines: Ontario tenancy law essentials

Live St. Catharines rentals on SQRFT

Related SQRFT content

What should St. Catharines rent cost?

Where these numbers come from