Market IntelligenceEconomy

rennie insights: Changing Rental Housing Dynamics and the Pandemic

 

Apr 14, 2021

Written by 

Ryan Berlin

SHARE THIS

It is clear that over the past year the Covid-19 pandemic has created challenges for virtually all individuals, businesses, and sectors of the economy. Housing markets have bifurcated, with the for-sale segment of Canada’s housing markets, including here in Metro Vancouver, seeing demand soar while supply remains constrained.

Metro Vancouver’s rental market has undergone changes that have contrasted with those in the ownership market, with the vacancy rate rising and rent growth slowing. The cause are many, including job losses, a drop-off in immigration, new rental supply, and a changing dynamic between the short-term and long-term rental markets.

Against the backdrop of anecdotes and conjecture, this report synthesizes rental market data from a number of sources to provide insights into the likely causes, more and less, of the softening of Metro Vancouver’s rental market in 2020.Our rennie intelligence team comprises our in-house demographer, senior economist, and market analysts. Together, they empower individuals, organizations, and institutions with data-driven market insight and analysis. Experts in urban land economics, community planning, shifting demographics, and real estate trends, their strategic research supports a comprehensive advisory service offering and forms the basis of frequent reports and public presentations. Their thoughtful and objective approach truly embodies the core values of rennie.

Written by

Ryan Berlin

Subscribe to weekly market insights

Receive insights, analysis, and perspective from our rennie intelligence team on the Lower Mainland’s real estate market.

Related

blog-feature-media-cls2j1bvk314l0bskel7gk5vc
why buyers are waiting and sellers are still listing in the Sea-to-Sky
Join Ryan Berlin (Head Economist and VP Intelligence), Ryan Wyse (Market Intelligence Manager and Lead Analyst), and rennie advisor Carleigh Hofman as they examine how the housing market is closing out 2025 across Metro Vancouver, Squamish, and Whistler. They discuss near-record-low sales, elevated listings, shifting labour market signals, and what interest rates may do next. Carleigh shares on-the-ground insight into who is buying, who is selling, and why the Sea-to-Sky corridor continues to behave differently than the broader region.

Dec 2025

Podcast

blog-feature-media-cls2j1bvk314l0bskel7gk5vc
does AI know more about real estate than we do?
Join Ryan Berlin, Head Economist and VP Intelligence, and Darrell Koopmans, VP Technology, as they look at how artificial intelligence is showing up across real estate and the wider economy. They discuss what AI actually is, how consumers and advisors are using it, and where it adds value in forecasting, analysis, and workflow automation. They also explore the limits of black box models, why human insight still matters, and how rennie is integrating AI in a thoughtful and practical way.

Dec 2025

Podcast

Rennie Forbes Horizontal Red
  • Find a Home

rennie & associates realty ltd

copyright © 2025 rennie all rights reserved

By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

do not share or sell my personal information

California DRE #02248150

MLS® Reciprocity

Disclaimer: This representation is based in whole or in part on data generated by the Chilliwack & District Real Estate Board, Fraser Valley Real Estate Board or Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver which assumes no responsibility for its accuracy.

Disclaimer: This is not an offering for sale. Any such offering can only be made by way of disclosure statement. E&OE. The developer reserves the right to make changes and modifications to the information herein without prior notice. Photos and renderings are representational only and may not be accurate.