Illustration by Pete Ryan
If The Globe and Mail’s 2026 national city rent ranking didn’t convince Toronto-area renters to book it to the prairie provinces, now may be the time to consider a move to Ajax or Orangeville – and negotiating power just may be on their side.
Ajax led our regional ranking which looked at the Toronto Census Metropolitan Area (CMA). When ranked on a list of 22 cities in the area as well as Toronto, the community scored top marks on affordability, availability, stability and livability. Our methodology placed greater emphasis on the two former.
From March to May of this year, which the regional ranking is based on, Ajax’s average asking rent price was $2,317, while the national average for June was $2,033.
For affordability, the community of Orangeville came in No. 1 with an average asking rent of $2,139, next to Toronto’s average of $2,691. It also placed second on the overall regional rankings.
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Sabine El Ghali, managing director for Buttonwood Property Management Inc., which serves the GTA, said she has seen a trend of current tenants pushing for lower prices as asking rents have decreased in some areas.
“Every day, we get a tenant saying, ‘Listen, I want to stay in the rental unit, but I see that other units surrounding me or in the same building are down by X dollars. If you lower it to me, I’m happy to stay. Otherwise, it makes more sense for me to move in the same building to another unit,’” said Ms. El Ghali, who is also a real estate broker with Keller Williams Portfolio Realty.
Although not a universal trend among all communities, our data found availability of units was up in most places since 2022, including Ajax and Orangeville.
Rentals.ca communication director Giacomo Ladas said now is a promising time for renters to weigh their options.
“If you’re navigating the rental market, you have a lot of choice. There’s a lot of supply, and you have a lot of bargaining power,” he said.
Mr. Ladas added that Rentals.ca also has seen an increase in both Toronto and GTA condo rentals offering move-in incentives. For example, receiving months of rent free, cash bonuses, gift cards or included utilities.
Jenilee Forgie, a parent of two small children, rents a three-bedroom townhouse in Mississauga with her husband for $3,350 per month. Although not an ideal price for her family to save, it’s on par with the average price of $3,382 for a three-bedroom in the suburban city, and places fourth on our list overall.
“We are stretched pretty thin. We could definitely use more space,” she said about the property her family has rented since 2024, adding that rent takes up about 40 per cent of her household’s income, opposed to the often-cited 30-per-cent affordability threshold.
But older stepchildren nearby, proximity to work and transit access has made Mississauga feel like home for the 42-year-old and her partner. Still, Ms. Forgie has caught wind that her neighbours in the same style of townhouse who moved in before prices shot up are paying hundreds less for the same features.
“We moved at not the best time, but also it kind of hasn’t been the best time since 2022,” she said. As a result, Ms. Forgie said she is hoping the market will be on her side as she considers searching for something cheaper or more spacious nearby.
With data and a report from Mahima Singh
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