Rental prices for apartments in British Columbia continue to decline, according to a new report released Monday by Rentals.ca, but those changes are not being felt in communities on Haida Gwaii.
The January 2026 national rent report shows B.C. still leads the country in rental price drops, with average asking rents down 12.1 per cent over the past three years.
In Vancouver, apartment rents are 7.9 per cent lower than this time last year and have fallen 13.8 per cent since 2023. Other Metro Vancouver communities also saw sharp decreases, including New Westminster, down 15.4 per cent year over year, and Coquitlam, down 14 per cent.
Housing and Municipal Affairs Minister Christine Boyle said the figures show provincial housing policies are beginning to have an impact.
“We’re focused on improving housing affordability for British Columbians,” Boyle said in a statement.
She pointed to measures introduced since 2017, including tighter renter protections, limits on speculation, and programs aimed at increasing the supply of rental housing.
Boyle also referenced data released last month by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, which found vacancy rates have risen to 3.7 per cent in Greater Vancouver and 3.3 per cent in Greater Victoria, the highest levels in decades.
According to CMHC, 25,855 purpose-built rental homes were registered in B.C. in 2025, an increase of nearly 40 per cent compared to 2024.
Boyle highlighted the experience of Burnaby high school teacher Chase Thomson, who she said recently renegotiated his lease after similar units in his building were advertised for less.
“He was able to reduce his rent by $300 a month,” Boyle said, calling it an example of how lower asking prices can translate into real savings for renters.
That reduction would amount to $3,600 annually.
The minister said the province plans to continue expanding rental housing, including recent projects such as more than 110 new senior housing units opened in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside in December.
“Our work won’t stop here,” Boyle said. “We will continue to build on this momentum, so more people can find homes within the communities they know and love.”
While rental prices are softening in large urban centres, housing conditions on Haida Gwaii remain tight across every community.
From Masset and Old Massett to Port Clements, Tlell, Skidegate, Sandspit and Daajing Giids, long-term rentals remain scarce, vacancy rates are extremely low, and competition for available units is high.
Most rentals on the islands are never listed on national platforms like Rentals.ca. Instead, housing searches rely heavily on word of mouth, local Facebook groups and informal networks, making the market difficult to track and often inaccessible to newcomers and workers moving to the islands.
Short-term rentals and seasonal accommodations continue to reduce the number of homes available for year-round residents, particularly during spring and summer months. Employers in health care, education, construction and local government regularly report difficulty recruiting staff due to a lack of housing.
Small provincial housing projects in recent years have added some units in communities such as Masset and Daajing Giids, but those additions have not kept pace with demand or population needs.
As a result, even as asking rents fall in Vancouver and other southern cities, many Haida Gwaii residents continue to face high rents, limited choice and long searches for stable housing.
The Rentals.ca report is based on advertised asking prices, not existing lease rates, which are regulated by provincial rent increase limits. While declining asking rents may benefit new renters or people renegotiating leases in major cities, the impact in remote and small communities remains uneven.
For now, the provincial numbers point to a cooling rental market in B.C.’s largest centres, but on Haida Gwaii, the housing crunch remains firmly in place.
