While most attention is focused on the trajectory of home ownership, renting a home can be challenging as well. Considering that Vancouver, before Covid-19, had a vacancy rate hovering around the 1% mark. A healthy rental market is considered to have around a 3% vacancy rate where tenants can find suitable homes and rents don’t sharply climb.

In BC, Realtors can be licenced in sales and/or in rentals. I’m licenced in sales so I can’t delve deeply into rentals.

The below links are for finding a rental home for yourself. Let me know if you’re wanting to rent out your home and I’ll connect you with a rental agent.

Types of rental homes

Unfurnished – the tenant has their own furnishings and these tend to be long-term rentals.

Furnished – the property is furnished and can be rented out short- or long-term. As they’re furnished, these tend to cost more than unfurnished.

Types of rental management

Privately managed

The homeowner rents the unit out on their own behalf. My understanding is that Craigslist is a popular website for such listings but there are other websites as well. Be cautious with providing a deposit as there are scams out there. You can review the references at the end of this post for more rental information.

Rental buildings

There are entire buildings designated as rentals while others have a rental component. Below is by no means an exhaustive list. A stroll through the West End will unveil a large number of rental buildings. They are less plentiful in other neighbourhoods on our downtown peninsula.

• Residences at Hotel Blu – unfurnished rentals on top of a hotel at 177 Robson Street

• Level Furnished Living – rentals offered at 1388 Richards and 1022 Seymour Streets. I believe both are furnished rentals.

• Vancouver Extended Stay – furnished rentals in 1288 West Georgia Street and 1288 Alberni Street

• Bosa4Rent – a developer that rents out 1108 Pendrell, 183 East Georgia, 180 Switchmen, 1142 Granville. I believe these are unfurnished.

• Hollyburn Rentals – they own a number of older rental buildings in the West End and on the westside of Vancouver. They offer furnished and unfurnished rentals.

• Concert Properties – a developer that rents out 600 Drake in downtown and buildings in other parts of Vancouver

• Beresford Apartments – unfurnished rental building in Yaletown at 1221 Homer Street

• English Bay Residences – new rental building on Davie Street in the West End

• 1188 Bidwell – new building in the West End

Professional rental companies

Licenced rental agents act on behalf of owners and each have their own website. The not-so-good news is that they don’t always update their websites so, if you find one that has your type of listings, emailing or calling them to see what they have can be useful. Some also post their available rentals on public rental websites.

Below is a list of rental providers in Vancouver that I compiled from a realtor that does rentals. Nearly all of them manage both furnished and unfurnished rentals. Neither he nor I can attest to the professionalism of these companies. Also, proficiencies will vary amongst the people within even the same company.

• Vancouver Luxury Realty

• Rent It Furnished

• Make Yourself at Home

• Bruce Ward Realty

• Downtown Accommodations

• Unique Accommodations

• Premiere Suites

• Sunstar Realty

• Advent

• AISA

• Downtown Suites

• Highstreet Accommodations

• Era Properties

• Easy Rent

General rental resources

• BC Provincial Government Rental Tenancies

• Tenant Resource and Advisory Centre

Cover image: Pomaria, 1455 Howe Street, building detail, floorplans and listings