Owning Versus Renting in Canada

Mortgage Professionals Canada released a very interesting report today, Owning versus Renting a Home in Canada.

In the report, they compare the expected costs of housing for Canadians who will choose to rent versus those who choose to own. In the 266 scenarios examined in the report, taken from a broad cross-section of regions throughout Canada, the monthly cost of home ownership is lower than the cost of renting equivalent housing in the majority of cases today and becomes, even more, cost-effective over time.

"The report demonstrates that the money Canadians are spending on monthly rent if used instead to finance a home, would be a very beneficial investment over time," explained Will Dunning, author of the report. "The costs of owning and renting continue to rise across Canada. However, rents continue to rise over time whereas the largest cost of home ownership – the mortgage payment – typically maintains a fixed amount over a set period of time – usually for the first five years. The result is that the cost of renting will increase more rapidly than the cost of homeownership."