Here’s what the average Ottawa renter was paying in May

A for rent sign is displayed on a house in Ottawa on Friday, Oct. 14, 2022. A new report says Canada's average asking rent reached a new record in July. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

The average rental price in Ottawa declined slightly in May and is down overall from one year ago.

According to Rentals.ca and Urbanation, renters in Ottawa paid an average of $2,140 last month, down $11 from the average rental price in April.

The cost of an average one-bedroom unit went up $5 month-over-month to $1,949 in May, but two-bedroom units saw a $19 decline, dropping to $2,453.

• Sign up now for daily CTV News Ottawa newsletters

Year-over-year, the rent for a one-bedroom unit is down 2.2 per cent, and two-bedroom rents are down 4.1 per cent compared to a year ago.

Kanata continues to differ from the rest of Ottawa, having the third-highest average rental price in the country. The average rental price in Kanata in May was $2,543, with two-bedroom rents jumping $243 month-over-month to $2,812 in May. The 9.5 per cent increase was the highest one-month increase in Canada. One-bedroom units in Kingston went up 1.3 per cent in May to $2,277. Year-over-year, one-bedroom rents are down 0.2 per cent, but two-bedrooms are up 3.3 per cent.

The average asking rent in Canada declined 4.7 per cent year-over-year in May, down $100 to $2,029, representing the 20th consecutive month of year-over-year declines, Rentals.ca and Urbanation say. On a monthly basis, rents rose by 0.1 per cent from April.

• The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App

North Vancouver has the highest average rent in Canada, at $2,927 in May, followed by Vancouver. Kanata, North York, and Toronto round out the top five.

Kingston’s average rent in May came in at $2,179, down $49 from April. The average one-bedroom went for $1,926, a 2.1 per cent increase, but two-bedrooms dropped 1.5 per cent month-over-month to $2,297. Kingston has the 20th highest average rent in Canada, ahead of Ottawa at 22nd, with a 10.2 per cent year-over-year increase marked in two-bedroom rents. Only Laval saw a higher increase.

The average rent in Gatineau in May was $1,800, a $20 increase from April. A one-bedroom went for $1,617 and a two-bedroom was $1,881. Gatineau has seen a year-over-year decline in rental rates of 7.8 per cent for one-bedroom units and 9.8 per cent for two-bedrooms.