Asking rents are falling in many Canadian cities, vacancies are rising in newer rental units, but the benefits aren’t being felt by everyone.

On the surface, it looks like Canada’s rental market is finally easing.

So why do so many renters still feel stuck?

In this episode of In-House, host Joelle Hamilton speaks with Tania Bourassa-Ochoa, Deputy Chief Economist at CMHC, to break down the 2026 Mid-Year Rental Market Update and what the data is really saying about housing affordability in Canada.

📊 In this episode, we cover:
• Why asking rents and actual rents paid are diverging
• Why new leases and renewals tell different stories
• Where rental conditions are easing (and where they are still tight)
• Why affordability pressures remain
• What to watch in Canada’s rental market through the second half of 2026

Whether you're a renter, policymaker, or just trying to understand Canada’s housing market, this conversation connects the dots behind the headlines.

📄 Read the CMHC 2026 Mid-Year Rental Market Update: https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/observer/2026/2026-mid-year-rental-market-update

🔔 Subscribe to In-House for clear, data-driven conversations on housing in Canada.

We talked to over 4,100 recent mortgage consumers across Canada. We surveyed homebuyers, renewers, and refinancers, to find out how they feel about buying a home, securing a mortgage, and who they turned to for help. CMHC expert Sabrina Guay breaks down what they said.

Canada's mortgage market hit a turning point in 2025, and in this episode of In-House, we dig into what the data is really telling us.

Host Joelle Hamilton sits down with Aled ab Iorwerth, CMHC Deputy Chief Economist, to break down the Spring 2026 Residential Mortgage Industry Report (RMIR). They cover what drove the biggest renewal wave in recent memory, why borrowers are shifting back to variable rates, and what signals — good and concerning — are shaping the outlook for the rest of 2026.

What you'll hear in this episode:

• The renewal wave peaked in 2025 as pandemic era buyers mortgages expired. Why 2026 should be calmer — and where payment pressure still lingers.

• Why 42% of new mortgages are now variable-rate — and what it means if rates change.

• While still historically low nationally, delinquencies in Ontario and Toronto have increased year-over-year (35% and 45%), a trend worth watching.

• The stress hiding beneath the headline numbers — how unemployment and non-mortgage delinquencies signal what's coming before it hits mortgage arrears.

• What structural signals offer cautious optimism: amortizations normalizing, HELOC performance holding steady, and TDS ratios improving.

If you work in lending, real estate, housing policy, or you're a homeowner navigating today's rate environment, this episode is for you.

Resources mentioned:

→ Spring 2026 RMIR full report: https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/professionals/housing-markets-data-and-research/housing-research/research-reports/housing-finance/residential-mortgage-industry-report

→ CMHC Residential Mortgage Industry Data Dashboard: https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/professionals/housing-markets-data-and-research/housing-data/residential-mortgage-industry-data-dashboard

Subscribe to In-House for more housing market insights from CMHC.