Rentals cheaper as mortgages climb, study finds

dave2004

Rentals cheaper as mortgages climb, study finds
Affordability gap grows  

Financial Post
# B0 j6 m/ B# n+ X2 DPublished: Wednesday, October 18, 2006
0 K8 l% `% w: g! [8 R; R9 @# C. c$ U
Why own a house when you can rent the same property for a lot less?

) N% g% }+ B. \7 `. m) dA new study from Bank of Nova Scotia says the pendulum has swung back in favour of tenants.

"The affordability gap between renting and owning is at its highest level since 1990," said Adrienne Warren, senior economist with the bank.
8 @2 E' {5 [' I% S. H
The study found the average monthly mortgage payment in Canada in 2005 was $1,304 based on a $250,000 house with 10% down payment. That compares with an average rent of $731 for a typical two-bedroom apartment last year. That $573 gap is projected to climb to $800 in 2006.
% h# n$ l% m% r8 p
* l+ k* R0 D, A9 D" T"This is a fairly typical pattern that you see in housing. As house prices move up, affordability becomes an issue for first-time buyers," said Ms. Warren, adding renting becomes a more viable option.
6 Z' g1 }3 C3 N
* M" S( K' S+ q3 rThe current gap between owning versus renting would be even wider if the Scotiabank report took into consideration home ownership issues such as taxes and general upkeep.

% V0 t3 r5 d* K2 B( v6 B9 nMs. Warren predicts a slowdown in the housing market with a tighter rental market leading to increased rents. "We will see a levelling off of vacancy rates. I don't think we will see landlords offering the same incentives, like free rent for a month," she said.

& {. t: p/ C# y( u- X) g7 |One problem with the national number is it masks major regional differences, she said. The gap between owning and renting varied wildly across the country from a $31 monthly premium in Winnipeg in 2005 to $1,220 in Vancouver.

Generally though, the trend across the country is home ownership costs are rising faster than rental rates.

Between 2000 and 2005, rental costs have increased nationwide at a 1.3% annual pace. During the same period, home ownership costs nationwide increased 2.7% annually.

One side affect of declining affordability has been a slew of new mortgage products that have had the effect of lowering the monthly carrying costs of a loan. More and more consumers are buying products that allow them to pay off their mortgage based on a 35-year payment plan as opposed to a 25-year plan, which had been the norm for years.

Ms. Warren noted that the $1,304 monthly mortgage costs for a $250,000 home with a $25,000 down payment would go down to $1,073 per month under a 35-year plan.

Real estate author Don Campbell said there is no question renting has become a better deal for consumers over the last few years. "When interest rates come back down, the pendulum will swing back to the homeowner," he said.

3 c5 r: H: i( O1 aHowever, Mr. Campbell said apartments are affected by rent controls in many markets.
6 i7 W- W$ d1 @2 A( e; N1 {
"In markets in the West, where it is not as controlled, rental rates are starting to take off. A two-bedroom unit in a 1970 building in Fort McMurray is $1,500, and that's in the middle of nowhere. Even basic townhouses in Edmonton that rented for $800 last year are up over $1,000," he said.
- c/ R; j, y5 Y. p
9 X5 u6 ^: s& `: k, _7 H, w3 @
" c' s, N* f! cDisclaimer: This is just published research data and do not express my position.