The Headline Numbers
Statistics Canada counts a household that spends 30% or more of its income on shelter as living in unaffordable housing.2 The latest Census figures for Ontario are from 2021.
How Many Ontario Renters Are Over 30%?
Of the 1,722,000 renter households in Ontario in 2021, 655,555 spent 30% or more of income on shelter, which is 38.4% of renters with a computed ratio. 262,300, or 15.4%, spent 50% or more. Owners were far less exposed.1
| Period | Renter households | Owner households |
|---|---|---|
| 30% or more | 38.4% | 17.7% |
| 50% or more | 15.4% | 6.4% |
Ontario renters were worse off than the national average: across Canada, 33.2% of renter households were over the 30% line in 2021, down from 40.0% in 2016.2 A quarter of Ontario renter households examined (24.9%) were in core housing need, Statistics Canada’s measure for homes that are unaffordable, too small or in poor repair where the household could not afford a suitable local alternative.1,2
The 2021 Census measured 2020 incomes, which included temporary pandemic benefits. Statistics Canada says those transfers lifted many households above the affordability thresholds, so 2021 likely understates the pressure once the benefits ended.2
Rent Against Wages Since 2019
Statistics Canada’s rent index rose 29.1% in Ontario between the 2019 and 2025 annual averages, against 20.4% for all consumer prices.3 Average weekly earnings in Ontario rose 27.7% over the same years, from $1,048.82 to $1,339.70.4
| Period | Rent | All items |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 100 | 100 |
| 2020 | 101.7 | 100.7 |
| 2021 | 103.2 | 104.1 |
| 2022 | 108.9 | 111.2 |
| 2023 | 115.7 | 115.4 |
| 2024 | 123.8 | 118.2 |
| 2025 | 129.1 | 120.4 |
The start year changes the story. Average weekly earnings jumped 7.3% in 2020 alone, so measured from 2021, Ontario rents rose 25.0% to 2025 while average weekly earnings rose 15.0%.3,4 Since 2021, rent has outrun wages.
The rent index measures what tenants actually pay, including existing tenants who renew, some in rent-controlled units, so it moves more slowly than advertised rents for vacant units.5 What a new tenant faces is higher.
What a New Tenant Pays in Toronto
CMHC’s October 2025 survey shows the gap between sitting tenants and new ones. In the Toronto CMA, the average two-bedroom purpose-built apartment rented for $2,528 when vacant and $2,034 when occupied, a 24% premium for moving.6
The market loosened in 2025, with vacancy up from 2.5% to 3.0%, but an applicant moving between units still faces rent well above what they paid before.
What This Means for Screening
For Ontario REALTORs® and landlords, the numbers explain why many good applicants look stretched on paper: if more than a third of renters already spend over 30% of income on shelter, a 30% cut-off excludes a large share of the market. It is also not allowed.
The Ontario Human Rights Commission says income ratios such as “rent must be no more than 30% of income” were found to have a systemic impact on Code-protected groups and no value in predicting default, and that the Code and O. Reg. 290/98 do not permit landlords to apply them. A landlord may only assess whether the applicant has enough income to pay the rent, not whether what is left is enough for everything else.7 Income can be weighed only together with credit references, rental history or a credit check.8
- Read Rent-to-Income Ratio in Ontario for how to assess income without a ratio.
- Read The Human Rights Code and Tenant Selection for the protected grounds.
- Weigh payment history, especially rent, alongside income; see How to Read a Tenant Credit Report in Canada.
This page is general information about Ontario rental data and law, not legal advice.
Questions
What Share of Ontario Renters Spend Over 30% of Income on Rent?
38.4% of Ontario renter households spent 30% or more of income on shelter in the 2021 Census, and 15.4% spent 50% or more. Those figures reflect 2020 incomes, which pandemic benefits raised.1,2
Have Ontario Rents Risen Faster Than Wages?
Since 2021, yes: the Ontario rent index rose 25.0% from 2021 to 2025 while average weekly earnings rose 15.0%. From 2019 the two are close, at 29.1% and 27.7%.3,4
Can a Landlord Use the 30% Rule to Screen Tenants in Ontario?
No. The Ontario Human Rights Commission says the Code and O. Reg. 290/98 do not permit landlords to apply income ratios; a landlord may only assess whether the applicant has enough income to pay the rent.7
Sources
- Table 98-10-0247-01 Core housing need by tenure including presence of mortgage payments and subsidized housing
Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021, Ontario, number of private households by shelter-cost-to-income ratio and tenure; shares computed excluding households with a ratio of “Not applicable”. Accessed October 22, 2026.
- To buy or to rent: The housing market continues to be reshaped by several factors as Canadians search for an affordable place to call home
Statistics Canada, The Daily, Released September 21, 2022; renter unaffordability 2016 and 2021; COVID-19 benefits. Accessed October 22, 2026.
- Table 18-10-0005-01 Consumer Price Index, annual average, not seasonally adjusted
Statistics Canada, Ontario, Rent (v41694252) and All-items (v41694217), 2019 to 2025; indexed to 2019 by PropTx Verify Editorial. Accessed October 22, 2026.
- Table 14-10-0204-01 Average weekly earnings by industry, annual
Statistics Canada, Ontario, all employees including overtime, industrial aggregate excluding unclassified businesses (v1741702), 2019 to 2025. Accessed October 22, 2026.
- Shelter in the Canadian CPI: An overview, 2023 update
Statistics Canada, Prices Analytical Series, Rent; released December 19, 2023. Accessed October 22, 2026.
- Rental Market Survey data tables, Toronto, 2025
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Tables 1.1.1, 1.1.2 and 1.1.9, Toronto CMA, October 2024 and October 2025. Accessed October 22, 2026.
- Policy on human rights and rental housing, V. Identifying discrimination in rental housing
Ontario Human Rights Commission, s. 4.2.1 Income requirements. Accessed October 22, 2026.
- O. Reg. 290/98: Business Practices Permissible to Landlords in Selecting Prospective Tenants for Residential Accommodation
Government of Ontario, e-Laws, s. 1(3) and (4). Accessed October 22, 2026.
