WINDSOR, ONT. -- Rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Windsor spiked 5.9 per cent this month – the largest monthly growth rate in the country.

According to PadMapper’s February 2021 Canadian Rent Report, the rental cost for a one-bedroom apartment is now $1,080, making Windsor the 18th priciest market in Canada.

But the big jump — a 22.7 per cent rental price increase, year over year.

Sadi Moro of Manor Realty says there are currently only five condos available in downtown Windsor.

“If there’s no inventory and there’s nothing available, and it’s slim pickings and there’s a handful of people and they’re in desperate red and they actually need something, they’re going to pay for it,” Moro says.

But some can’t a reality Deanne Marion knows all too well.

“Everywhere you look, it’s $1,100, $1,200 — plus utilities — for a one-bedroom. And it didn’t matter the neighbourhood,” Marion says.

She has been living with family the past two years, but argues government assistance hasn’t kept pace with surging prices.

“The government needs to step in and start raising some of these payments for seniors and disability people who cannot work, to a standard of living that we can afford,” Marion says.

Windsor, Kitchener, Ont., and Halifax N.S. were listed on the Padmapper report as those with the largest monthly changes in February.

The report analyzes rental data from hundreds of active listings in the country, which are then aggregated monthly to find the median asking rents for the most popular metro areas.

The report analyzes rental data from hundreds of active listings in the country, which are then aggregated monthly to find the median asking rents for the most popular metro areas.

While the cost of a one-bedroom in the Rose City climbed, the cost of a two-bedroom has gone down 3.7 per cent. Rent for a two-bedroom is cited at $1,310.

Marla Coffin of Marda Management says more and more are renters are seeking apartments as roommates.

“It’s something they have to do otherwise it’s unavailable to obtain something in this market that is of an acceptable level, reasonably well cared for but is cost efficient enough that it’s affordable on a regular wage,” she says.

Kirk Whittal of the Windsor-Essex Community Housing Corporation says when the private rental market is squeezed, it also impacts the waiting list for affordable housing, currently at 6,000 people.

“If that starts disappearing to a certain degree, their only option will be to come through the rent-geared-to-income system, and that will be a very difficult and potentially a long wait,” he says.

Whittal says the one-bedroom affordable housing waitlist is currently 1,500 deep and expects it to keep growing.

“If you’re at the bottom of the list, it could be years before you would get that help,” he says.

With Windsor ranking the 18th highest rental costs of 23 cities, it sits ahead of Winnipeg, Man., Edmonton, Alta., Saskatoon, Sask., Quebec, Que., Regina, Sask., and St. John’s, Nfld.

Vancouver, B.C. holds the top spot for highest rent costs in the country with Toronto, Ont. in second.