Around 1/3 of Canadian renters spend 50% their income on rent: survey

1. A large share of renters are spending well above the “affordability” threshold

The Winter 2025 Renter Feedback Survey from Rentals.ca found that over 62 per cent of Canadian renters spend at least 30 % of their income on rent, a commonly cited affordability benchmark — and about one-third are spending more than 50 % of their income on rent. About 12 per cent report spending 70 % or more of their income on rent

2. Younger renters are especially burdened

Among renters aged 25–34, 43 per cent report spending more than half of their income on rent, while 37 per cent of those aged 35–54 also fall into that high-burden group....showing that rental stress isn’t limited to just the youngest cohorts.

If a third of renters are spending 50%+ of their income on housing, how realistic is it to save for a home, invest, start a family, or take career risks? At what point does “getting by” stop feeling like a viable long-term plan.....especially for educated, working professionals?

original source https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2025/12/21/canadian-renters-30-percent-half-income-rent-survey/?utm_source=chatgpt.com