Rental Housing Dominates Montreal Construction: Over 80% of 2025 Starts Were Rentals

Montreal's residential construction landscape has undergone a historic shift, with over 80% of new housing starts in the metropolitan region in 2025 being purpose-built rental units, according to a new report from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). Just 2,027 condominium units broke ground over the same period, reflecting sustained weakness in the condo market driven by economic uncertainty, investor pullback, and a widening price gap between new and existing units. Tania Bourassa-Ochoa, CMHC's deputy chief economist, notes that Montreal is currently seeing unprecedented levels of both completions and units under construction.