Olivia Grandy
Saskatoon StarPhoenix
Investment, not rent control, is the way to address housing concerns in Saskatchewan, Premier Scott Moe continues to insist.
The topic, much discussed and debated during the recent legislative session, was on the agenda for Moe and NDP Leader Carla Beck during their respective visits to Saskatoon on Tuesday.
While continuing to push for her party’s proposed rent control legislation, known as Bill 608, Beck cited recent numbers from a December 2025 Rentals.ca report. It found Saskatchewan’s average asking rent price increased by 3.9 per cent compared to the previous year.
Beck blamed out-of-province corporate landlords for these increases, who she said view the province’s rental market as the “Wild West.”
“We need rent control in this province to make life more affordable for renters,” she said. “And we need a government that is going to side with seniors and young people, not with corporate landlords.”
Rental control refers to government regulations that limit rent increases. According to the report, Saskatchewan and Atlantic Canada were the only regions with increases. Nationally, the data showed rents declined by 3.1 per cent, driven by a cooling in Canada’s major cities.
Although Saskatchewan saw the greatest increase, the average asking price of $1,490 was still the lowest among all regions.
The NDP’s proposed Bill 608 would tie the proposed maximum rent increase to the consumer price index, a key inflation indicator. NDP MLA housing critic April ChiefCalf pointed to the bill’s five-year exemption for new builds as a safeguard for investment.
Moe, on the other hand, echoed arguments against the policy while speaking to reporters after attending a Saskatchewan Realtors Association event. The Sask. Party has made it clear it does not intend to support rent control.
“We need to encourage building more, whether it be rental units or houses for families in the province,” he said.
“The way to do that is to encourage that investment. The way to hinder that is to enact policies like rent control that are going to drive that investment to other areas of Canada and other areas of the world, quite frankly.”
Beck accused Moe of being “wilfully ignorant” of the hardships created by rising rent.
“This is why we need the premier to stop siding with corporate landlords,” Beck said.
In an emailed statement to the StarPhoenix, the province said “our government believes the best way to keep rent affordable in Saskatchewan is by increasing the number of rental properties on the market.
“Having more property on the rental market provides more options for renters. It creates a competitive market and prevents steep rental increases.”
NDP supportive of action to increase inventory
Along with her party’s proposed rent control policy, Beck says she supports fewer restrictions on developers regarding permits and zoning, co-operation on housing across all levels of government, and bolstering the labour force to build more homes.
“I will say we have some disagreements with some groups in the province. Absolutely. That’s on the table. There’s a lot of things that we agree with.”
While in a room with investors and realtors, Moe stated that he views home ownership as the ultimate end goal for those in Saskatchewan.
“I would say the ultimate aspiration is for everyone in Saskatchewan to have a career where they’re able to purchase their own home,” he said.
“The goal is not to rent a place. That may be part of the journey, but the goal certainly is to own a place.”
