It's nearly impossible to find a place to rent. But retirement homes have room to spare | CBC Radio LoadedWhile Canada’s average national vacancy rate sits at a record low of 1.5 per cent, there is one kind of property much more likely to have a “for rent” sign out front: retirement homes.New Zealand curler Brett Sagan, left, came with teammates to Calgary to train and compete. Pat Larson, right, is a resident at a Calgary retirement residence where the team has been living since the fall.
As a result, some retirement homes are offering incentives like three months of free rent and amenities like saltwater pools and pickleball courts to persuade seniors to sign on. Both got a bad rap during the pandemic, when they were plagued with outbreaks or shut down to outside visitors. "If you look at the more recent years, there's not a lot of supply on the market," said Cortellino. Faced with little choice and hefty price tags when they do eventually want to downsize to a condo or apartment, people are more likely to stay put, he said.Prices vary depending on where you are in Canada. In Quebec, you could get a heavily subsidized spot for as little as $900 a month.
"If you look at people from the compared to people now, maybe their health is better when they age … so they have more options to stay at home than they used to." Bagan raised her family in her home, so she said it's full of happy memories for her, even though her children moved out long ago.Brett Sargon and two teammates from his New Zealand curling team wanted to train and compete in Calgary for a few months but were having trouble finding somewhere affordable to stay.