Kingston Rental Vacancy Rate Tightens Slightly to 2.4% Despite Strong Building Activity
The rental market in the Kingston census metropolitan area (CMA) tightened slightly in 2025, with the vacancy rate falling to 2.4%, down 0.5 percentage points from 2024. This data comes from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s (CMHC) Rental Market Report, released December 11, 2025, and summarized by the City of Kingston on December 15, 2025.
While the national trend saw vacancy rates increase in many major cities due to record rental completions outpacing demand, Kingston bucked this trend, suggesting that local population growth is continuing to put pressure on the housing supply.
Breakdown by Unit Size and Building Progress
The overall 2.4% vacancy rate for the Kingston CMA (which includes Kingston, South Frontenac, Frontenac Islands, and Loyalist Township) remains above the city’s historical average of approximately 1.8% over the past decade.
The vacancy rate varies significantly by unit size:
| Rental Unit Type | Vacancy Rate (%) |
| Bachelor | 2.4 |
| One Bedroom | 2.4 |
| Two Bedroom | 2.6 |
| Three+ Bedroom | 1.2 |
The especially low rate for three-plus bedroom units (1.2%) indicates that families continue to face the greatest difficulty in securing available rental accommodation.
Mayor Bryan Paterson noted that the strong construction activity is helping the city “keep pace with our population growth.” The City points to substantial building permit activity as evidence of progress toward its goal of adding 8,000 new homes by 2031:
-
2024 Permits Issued: 1,243
-
2025 Permits Issued (through Nov. 30): 1,054
Implications for City Council
The new CMHC data will play a key role in upcoming Kingston City Council decisions regarding development and social supports.
-
Incentives and Unit Mix: The low vacancy for family-sized units reinforces the need for municipal staff to consider speeding up incentives or specifically targeting the creation of larger, lower-rent units. The City already offers discounted development charges for rental housing with two or more bedrooms.
-
Homelessness Strategy: CMHC data is traditionally used by municipal staff and service providers to set strategies for addressing homelessness and housing precarity, often by highlighting the lack of affordable and supportive housing options.
-
Balancing Growth: City councillors face the challenge of approving more homes and higher densities to ease the tightness while ensuring that new supply meets the needs of lower-income renters and families, a key goal in the Council’s Strategic Plan.
The City’s commitment to increasing housing supply is in alignment with provincial targets, and the momentum in building permits issued shows active movement toward the targeted 3% vacancy rate.
