As the province’s housing crisis deepens, short-term rental properties are on the rise in Ontario, according to new data posted by the government, increasing by more than 50 per cent in cities where housing is already remarkably scarce.
Statistics published for the month of May show the number of properties being used for short-term rentals increased 42.1 per cent in Ontario since May 2022, from a total count of 46,226 to 65,698. According to the data collected by Transparent, which tracks vacation rental properties around the world, Ontario makes up more than a third of Canada’s STRs.
In the Greater Toronto Area, the York, Durham and Headwaters region, and Hamilton, Halton and Brant region, the total count of STRs increased by more than 50 per cent .