2027 rent increase limits: where five provinces stand

Landlords in Ontario can raise rent on most units by up to 1.9 per cent in 2027, compared with 2.2 per cent in British Columbia, 3 per cent in Manitoba and 5 per cent in Nova Scotia, according to provincial government sources.

Updated Oct. 17, 2026

Each province sets its limit differently, and each has its own exemptions, notice periods and start dates. Tenants should confirm the details with their provincial residential tenancy office.

Ontario’s residential rent increases page states that the rent increase guideline for 2027 is 1.9 per cent. A landlord must give written notice at least 90 days before an increase takes effect, and rent can rise only once 12 months have passed since the last increase or the start of the tenancy.

The province’s page says buildings, additions and most new basement apartments first occupied for residential purposes after Nov. 15, 2018, are exempt from rent control. If there is a dispute, the landlord must prove the unit was first occupied after that date.

In British Columbia, the maximum allowable increase for 2027 is 2.2 per cent, down from 2.3 per cent in 2026, the Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs said in an Aug. 27 news release. The limit takes effect Jan. 1, 2027.

The ministry said the cap equals the 12-month average change in B.C.’s all-items Consumer Price Index ending in July. Housing Minister Christine Boyle said linking increases to inflation helps renters, including seniors and families, meet their housing expenses.

Manitoba’s guideline for 2027 is 3 per cent, effective Jan. 1, 2027, according to the Residential Tenancies Branch’s page on calculating the annual rent increase guideline. The page says the rate must fall within the inflation-control target range, currently one to three per cent, and that the formula produced a figure of about 3.1 per cent before the cap applied.

Global News reported Sept. 3 that the 3 per cent figure is up from 1.8 per cent this year. The province also plans to raise the monthly rent threshold for rent regulation from $1,670 to $2,000 starting in 2027, which would bring more units under the guideline, the REMI Network reported.

Nova Scotia’s cap is the highest of the four, but it is a fixed ceiling rather than an inflation-based guideline. The province’s rent cap fact sheet says existing tenants’ rent can rise by no more than 5 per cent, once in a 12-month period, and that the cap is in place until Dec. 31, 2027.

Nova Scotia landlords must give at least four months’ written notice, the fact sheet says. The cap does not apply to new tenants signing new leases, and the fact sheet does not say what rules will apply after 2027.

New Brunswick is keeping its rent cap at 3 per cent for 2027, CTV News reported June 24. This outlet did not find an official New Brunswick government statement this week, so that figure should be treated as reported rather than confirmed.

Other provinces had not published a 2027 figure that this outlet could confirm from an official source as of Oct. 17. A CCPA Nova Scotia submission to the P.E.I. Residential Tenancy Office dated Aug. 12 recommended a rent freeze for 2027 on the Island, but that is a recommendation, not a government decision.

The limits matter as the housing market shifts. Canadian home sales fell 2.3 per cent in September, the Canadian Real Estate Association said, while housing starts rose 3 per cent to 248,896 in September, according to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.

Rent rules vary by lease and by unit, and this article explains official rules only. It is not legal or financial advice.

If you find reporting like this useful, consider supporting Canada News Media, an independent Canadian newsroom with no corporate parent.

Sources: Government of Ontario, B.C. Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs, Manitoba Residential Tenancies Branch, Nova Scotia Residential Tenancies.