Residents who use Fort McMurray rentals have found one benefit to a sluggish economy, landlords are becoming more competitive and this means more perks and lower rental prices in the region. By the end of last year the vacancy rate in Fort McMurray for rental units was almost 30%, making it the highest rate in Canada according to the statistics put out by the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation. In contrast the vacancy rate for all of Alberta at the same time was just 5.6%. This means that landlords are having to compete for tenants, offering perks that even a few years ago would never have been considered. Expensive renovations, free cable, free internet, free rent, security deposit waivers, and even allowing pets are some of the strategies that local landlords are employing to fill rental units right now.

According to Wood Buffalo Housing and Development Corp. spokesperson Mike Evans the numbers for Fort McMurray rentals show that many people have left the area. The organization shows a vacancy rate of a whopping 32.5%, meaning that 1 in 3 rental units are sitting empty and these landlords are having a hard time finding suitable tenants. According to Evans “We still have to find ways to fill the gap should the predicted economic recovery in 2017 materialize, and the population increase with it. The magnitude of the boom through 2004 through 2008 was driven by $120 barrel oil and no shale production in the U.S. No one is predicting those days of returning.”