Why Canadian Apartment Buildings Are Adding Amenities Nobody Asked For

Canadian apartment buildings are adding golf simulators, movie theatres, and rooftop lounges at a time when vacancy rates for purpose-built rentals have hit a four-year high of 3.1%. That number matters because it means renters have more options, and they are choosing buildings that actually work for their daily lives rather than ones that look flashy on a tour. With 28% of employees now working from home and 83% preferring hybrid arrangements, the gap between what operators install and what residents actually use is getting harder to ignore.

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The research coming out of the Canadian multifamily sector tells a pretty clear story. Developers and operators are under pressure to differentiate their buildings, but many are spending money on features that photograph well and barely get touched after move-in. Meanwhile, operating margins continue to tighten, and the cost of maintaining in-house amenities is eating into returns. The economics of this mismatch are starting to hurt. Here’s what you actually need to know.

That shift away from flashy extras is not just a hunch. The research shows that features like golf simulators and theatres rarely sustain regular use, while remote work spaces, fitness centres, and self-serve coffee machines see steady daily engagement. The difference comes down to frequency. When an amenity is used 15 to 20 times a month, it stops feeling optional and becomes part of how a resident lives. That pattern is measurable, and it is directly tied to whether someone renews their lease. What I tend to notice is that operators who track actual usage data end up choosing very different amenities than those who rely on what looks good in a brochure.

What the cost crunch means for amenity spending

Cost inflation is the backdrop for every amenity decision right now. Materials prices, government fees, and financing costs are all squeezing pro formas. Landlords in several markets are already offering concessions like free rent periods and flexible lease terms, which compresses effective rents and profit. In that environment, spending money on an amenity that gets used a handful of times a year is hard to justify.

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The numbers are worse for buildings that went all-in on DIY amenity setups. Owners found that factoring in staff time, ongoing maintenance, supply price fluctuations, and occasional service disruptions made DIY setups pricier and harder to manage consistently than outsourcing to specialists. The table above shows the pattern: the amenities that cost the least to maintain are often the ones residents use the most.

Where operators get amenity decisions wrong

The research points to several recurring mistakes that cost building owners real money. Each one comes down to a gap between what the marketing team wants and what the data actually shows.

Choosing amenities that photograph well instead of ones that work

This is the most common error. A rooftop lounge with a fire pit and city views looks great on Instagram and helps fill units during the first leasing wave. But features designed primarily to make an impression rarely sustain regular use. Once the novelty wears off, the space sits empty while the building pays for its upkeep. The fix is simple: before installing anything, ask how often residents will realistically use it and whether that usage can be measured. If the answer is vague, the amenity is probably a marketing expense, not a retention tool.

Building separate amenities for different age groups

Some properties try to create a yoga studio for younger renters, a card room for older residents, and a kids’ play area for families. Creating separate amenities for different demographics in the same building is unsustainable, expensive, and time-consuming. A smarter approach is to design flexible spaces that serve multiple purposes throughout the day. A shared lounge can host focused work in the morning, casual socialising in the afternoon, and quiet reading in the evening. That kind of adaptability reduces cost and complexity while actually serving more residents.

Underestimating maintenance costs of in-house amenities

That treadmill, coffee machine, or package room setup might seem like a one-time purchase. But the research shows that operating margins continued to tighten as owners discovered the real cost of staff time, replacement parts, and service disruptions. A self-serve coffee machine sounds like a simple perk, but if it breaks twice a month and requires a technician visit each time, the annual cost can exceed the purchase price. What I tend to see is that operators who track total cost of ownership make very different choices than those who only look at the upfront price tag.

Ignoring the shift to remote and hybrid work

With 83% of workers preferring hybrid arrangements and 91.7% of renters considering high-speed internet vital, buildings that still treat work-from-home spaces as an afterthought are losing ground. 85% of residents want in-suite high-speed wireless internet and 55% will pay more for it. Bookable meeting rooms, video conferencing facilities, and quiet work pods are no longer luxury extras — they are baseline expectations for a significant portion of the renter pool.

How to choose amenities that actually perform

The research from the Canadian multifamily sector points to a clear set of principles for amenity planning. These are not theoretical — they are based on what the data shows about actual resident behaviour and operational costs.

Audit actual usage before adding anything new

Before installing a new amenity, look at how existing ones are being used. Usage that is measurable, easier to justify, and more likely to influence satisfaction and renewal decisions over the long term is the benchmark. If a building cannot track how often its fitness centre or lounge is used, it is making decisions blind. Simple entry logs, booking systems, or sensor data can provide the numbers needed to decide whether to invest more or cut the feature entirely.

Design flexible multi-use spaces

A single room that can switch between coworking, social events, and quiet relaxation costs less than three separate rooms and gets used more often. That kind of adaptability allows communities to meet a wide range of preferences without adding layers of complexity or cost. Furniture on casters, movable partitions, and adjustable lighting are cheap ways to make a space work for different uses throughout the day. This approach also makes it easier to respond to changing resident preferences without a renovation.

Centralise package management and security

Centralised package management delivers both security and efficiency, two things that directly impact net operating income and resident satisfaction. With package lockers boosting lease renewals by up to 40%, this is one of the highest-return investments a building can make. Smart doorbells and secure entry systems also fall into this category — they reduce theft, improve resident trust, and require minimal staff involvement. A smart lock with a built-in doorbell camera can serve as both a security feature and a package delivery tool, all without adding to the maintenance load.

Plan for the future: BTR, sustainability, and modular construction

The Canadian market is seeing a structural shift toward build-to-rent (BTR) and purpose-built rental models. “Everyone is pivoting to rental because nothing else works,” said Beau Jarvis, President & CEO of Wesgroup Properties. Amenity decisions made today will be judged against a future where energy efficiency, modular construction, and ESG compliance are standard practice. About 84% of renters prefer green apartments even at higher rates, so energy-efficient appliances, recycling programmes, and solar-ready infrastructure are becoming competitive necessities rather than differentiators. Buildings that lock themselves into high-maintenance, energy-intensive amenities now will face expensive retrofits later.

Frequently asked questions about Canadian apartment amenities

Why the amenity bubble is finally bursting

What the research makes clear is that the era of amenity arms races is ending. The buildings that perform best in this market are not the ones with the longest list of features. They are the ones that choose a few high-use amenities, maintain them well, and track whether they are actually getting used. Operators are becoming more selective, choosing fewer amenities that deliver consistent value rather than a lengthy list of rarely used extras. That shift is driven by data, not opinion, and it is reshaping how Canadian apartment buildings are designed and operated.

Remember: this article is general information only. For advice on your specific situation, speak to a qualified professional.

If this was useful, you might also want to read How Rising Construction Costs Are Making New Homes Less Affordable in Canada.

Sources and Further Reading

Why Some Canadian Cities Are Experiencing a Housing Crisis While Others Are Thriving — A look at how regional market conditions differ across Canada and what that means for renters and investors.

The Future of the Canadian Real Estate Market in a Post-Pandemic Economy — How remote work, immigration, and construction costs are reshaping the market.

ApartmentBuildings.com (2025). The Current Trends and Outlook for Apartment Amenities: Q&A with Jeff Lail of WithMe. 🔗

LuxerOne (2025). The State of the Canadian Multifamily Market: Key Takeaways from CAIC. 🔗

NoBrokerHood (2025). Why Apartment Amenities Matter More Than Location in 2025. 🔗

RENX (2025). The Top Amenities Residents Seek in Rental Housing. 🔗