Rental rates in Windsor among lowest in nation

Complaining about the cost of rent in Windsor? Just be thankful you don’t live elsewhere, according to a survey by the apartment-hunting site PadMapper.com.

The site’s first Canadian Rent Report of the year was published on Tuesday, examining the median rental rates of the 24 most populous metropolitan areas in the country.

Windsor came in 24th, with a median monthly rate of $730 for a one-bedroom dwelling and $990 for a two-bedroom dwelling. Windsor’s nearest neighbour on the list — London — came in at 16th place, with monthly rates of $1,020 for a one-bedroom place and $1,210 for a two-bedroom. That’s 39 per cent and 22 per cent more expensive than Windsor. And even pricier were the cities at the top of the list, with rates double or even triple those of Windsor: In first place, Toronto ($2,260 per month for a one-bedroom dwelling); second, Vancouver ($2,130), and third, Burnaby ($1,570). PadMapper.com said the figures were reached by analyzing the data of “hundreds of thousands of active listings across the country.” Tuesday’s report was based on the numbers available in the month prior to publication. By aggregating the listings and calculating median rates, PadMapper.com hopes to provide “a comprehensive view of the current state of the market.”

But while Windsorites might feel grateful for having much cheaper rent than cities like Montreal and Victoria, the numbers of the Canadian Rent Report don’t dispute those of previous reports from other organizations, such as Rentals. ca or the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corp. — who have warned of rising rates nationwide. Indeed, PadMapper.com reports that compared to this time last year, 16 of the 24 surveyed cities experienced double-digit increases in either one-bedroom or two-bedroom prices. According to the site, Windsor’s median rent for a one-bedroom place rose by 5.8 per cent relative to this time in 2018, while the median rent for a two-bedroom place rose by 15.1 per cent. PadMapper.com advertises itself as “making apartment hunting suck less.” The site started as an app designed by New York City programmer Eric DeMenthon in 2012, mapping Craigslist rental listings over Google Maps in real time. After a protracted legal battle with Craigslist, PadMapper.com was purchased by another apartment rental platform, Zumper, and relaunched with a new design in 2016.