Kingston saw a 28.9 per cent spike in two-bedroom rents last year, making it the fourth most expensive rental market in Canada.
On Jan. 14, Zumper, a digital rental marketplace, published the Canadian Rent Report. The report found that Kingston is now the fourth-most-expensive city to rent in Canada and one of the fastest-rising markets. This surge comes just weeks after the City of Kingston released its own data showing a 2.4 per cent vacancy rate in 2025, slightly higher than the city’s 10-year average of 1.8 per cent.
Only Vancouver, Burnaby, and Toronto rank higher than Kingston in rental cost, but all three cities report rental prices fell in 2025, while Kingston’s continues to grow. According to Zumper, the city’s 26.2 per cent rent increase was unrivalled by the rest of the country, “driven by limited rental inventory and steady demand from students and professionals.”
In contrast to the rent increases, the City of Kingston’s 2025 Rental Market Report, published Dec. 15, highlighted “strong” housing growth, noting the 1,054 building permits in 2025, following 1,243 permits in 2024, exceeded the province’s municipal housing targets.
Despite the new growth, the vacancy rate of three-bedroom or larger units typically rented by students remains at just 1.2 per cent, according to the city’s report.
The Journal interviewed several Queen’s students to hear what they thought of the new report and the current housing market. Aly Soloman, Comm ’27, told The Journal he wasn’t surprised by the rising costs but that it’s making it much more difficult for students to find affordable housing near campus.
“I think even though the city has vacancies, the main problem is how high rent prices are, which dissuades a lot of students from being able to find housing, even if [there’s] housing available, because it’s out of their price range,” he said. “I think new affordable housing should be built closer to the school, especially because of how volatile the weather is in Kingston.”
Katie Saunders, ArtSci ’28, shared a similar opinion to Solomon, stating that living in the city has become increasingly difficult and sharing her own personal experience with the Kingston housing market.
“In first year, my housemates and I found it very difficult to find a place to live, often feeling like we were being overcharged for the accommodations we were being offered,” she said.
Saunders also highlighted the need for more resources and accessible student housing.
“If I had the chance to speak with a superior about these issues, I would advise them to prioritize affordable, accessible student housing, and also to make housing resources much more available to students,” Saunders explained.
Tags
housing crisis, Kingston Housing, Student rentals
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