How AI is Impacting the Rental Market in Canada 

AI-Driven Pricing & Rent Forecasting

Artificial intelligence is increasingly playing a role in how rents are set and how the rental market evolves. For example, researchers at Concordia University used a neural-network AI model trained on data from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and Statistics Canada to forecast dramatic future rent increases: a two-bedroom in Montréal could cost $4,325/month by 2032, and in Vancouver $7,750/month.

This kind of AI-driven forecasting underscores how data and machine-learning are reshaping expectations of rental pricing.

Automation, Algorithmic Pricing & Competition

Rental service providers and property managers are leveraging rental-pricing software that uses algorithms and AI-backed analytics to optimise rent, anticipate vacancies and match supply with demand. The Competition Bureau Canada concluded its investigation into algorithmic pricing in Canada’s rental housing market in November 2025, finding that while such “revenue management tools” exist (e.g., from Yardi Canada Ltd. and RealPage Canada, Inc.), their use has not yet reached levels that triggered anti-competitive concerns.

This highlights the balance: AI tools offer efficiency and better market alignment, but regulators are watching closely to ensure fairness and competition.

What This Means for Renters & Landlords

Renters: The rise of AI means rents may increasingly reflect localized demand, amenities, vacancy trends and building performance, not just broad averages. Improved forecasting could lead to more stable rents or earlier recognition of value shifts.

Landlords & property managers: AI and algorithmic tools enable smarter pricing decisions: real-time data, automated adjustments, better benchmarking. But they also raise risks — transparency demands, regulatory scrutiny, and the need to avoid over-reliance on “black-box” recommendations.