SASKATOON — The government and the Saskatchewan NDP continue to clash on rent control in the province, with the government reiterating that the province’s rental rate remains the lowest in the country.
NDP housing critic April ChiefCalf, MLA for Saskatoon Westview, introduced The Rent Control Act in the fall session in the hopes of addressing what the NDP says have been more than 40 months of straight rent increases. If passed, the legislation would tie annual rent increases to inflation.
Rent control is among the issues the opposition continues to raise against the government, hoping the Saskatchewan Party majority would support the initiative to ease the financial burden on the province's residents.
The Saskatchewan Party majority remains unsupportive of the opposition’s rent control legislation, which, if it passes, will tie the maximum increase to the consumer price index. Currently, landlords can increase rent without a cap as long as they provide proper notice.
“The best way to keep rent affordable is by increasing the number of rental properties on the market, and our government has introduced measures aimed at achieving just that, such as the Secondary Suite Incentive program,” said the government in a statement.
The government’s statement added that Saskatchewan’s latest average monthly rate of $1,371 in February is below the national average of $2,053 and well below the average rent of $2,347 in B.C. and $1,641 in Manitoba, both of which have NDP governments and rent control laws.
The Saskatchewan NDP, however, continue to raise the issue, emphasizing that landlords in the province have increased rent by 49 per cent since Scott Moe became premier in 2018. The opposition also cited some studies of the rapid increase in apartment units.
The NDP says numbers compiled by Rentals.ca and CMHC, covering the years between 2018 and 2025, showed that the average monthly rent for a bachelor unit ($1,199) and a one-bedroom apartment ($1,753) jumped by almost 35 per cent. A three-bedroom unit jumped from $1,177 to $1,753 in the same period.
“These numbers tell the story we hear far too often from Saskatchewan families. Rental rates are rising faster than wages, forcing people to choose between keeping a roof over their heads and paying for groceries,” said opposition leader Carla Beck.
She criticized Moe for having no ounce of compassion and empathy for Saskatchewan residents who continue to struggle, adding that the premier chose to do nothing and would rather stand with rich, out-of-province landlords.
ChiefCalf added that the average rent for a three-bedroom unit has increased by $600 per month since Moe became premier, which she said is not reasonable and constitutes outright price gouging, and his refusal to invest in affordable housing and regulate rent hikes amounts to government malpractice.
“It’s clear that Scott Moe doesn’t care about actually making life more affordable for families. We need rent control now. Saskatchewan families cannot wait any longer. It’s time for change,” said ChiefCalf, who added that unregulated rent prices can’t be allowed to continue.
Saskatchewan joins Alberta and Newfoundland and Labrador as provinces without rent control legislation, giving landlords the ability to raise rents without a cap, provided they give proper notice. British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Quebec have rent control laws in place.
New Brunswick has rent control with a three per cent cap on annual increases, while Nova Scotia set a temporary five per cent cap that ended on Dec. 31, 2025. Yukon has also set a temporary rent-control cap at 2.6 per cent. The Northwest Territories and Nunavut have no rent control laws.
