Almost half of Canada’s multi-residential property tenants prefer to rent, says a new report.

Simplydbs’ multi-residential satisfaction survey results show that 46% of respondents have a preference for rental living. By comparison, only 23% of respondents favour home ownership versus renting.

The study was based on 20,000 responses obtained between May and July 2023. The report includes select data from the company’s Shape Your Space monthly online survey tools.

According to the report, most renters (59%) are very concerned about future rent increases than those quite worried about current rates (15%). Meanwhile, most units with three or four bedrooms rental-housing types fit tenants’ needs.

Single tenants occupy most one-bedroom properties (43%), while units with three or more bedrooms had the most people on parental leave or stay-at-home parents, 28% and 26%, respectively.

But most respondents (32%) do not feel “really connected” to their rental communities.