Manitoba Rent Increase Calculator: 2026 and 2027 Guideline Rates

The formula for a guideline rent increase in Manitoba is straightforward — but the rounding, the discount rules, and the threshold boundary catch landlords who don't run the numbers carefully.

The Formula

New Rent = Current Lawful Base Rent × (1 + Guideline Rate)

• 2026 guideline: 1.8%
• 2027 guideline: 3.0%

The regulation allows a permitted increase to be rounded to the nearest dollar. The RTB says that if a landlord rounds the increase for one unit in a complex, they must round the increases for all units in that complex.

What Counts as Base Rent

The percentage applies to the lawful base rent — the total monthly amount payable before any conditional prompt-payment discount. If a tenant pays $1,200 after a $50 discount for paying on the first of the month, the base rent is $1,250 and the guideline applies to $1,250.

Reducing or removing an unconditional discount is not considered a rent increase under the Act. Section 25(4) requires at least three months' written notice, and an unconditional discount in a fixed-term agreement cannot be reduced or removed during that term.

Worked Examples

Standard 2026 increase: base rent $1,250. Calculation: $1,250 × 1.018 = $1,272.50 before optional rounding. If rounded to the nearest dollar, the new rent is $1,273 and the monthly increase is $23.

Standard 2027 increase: base rent $1,400. Calculation: $1,400 × 1.030 = $1,442.00. No rounding needed. Monthly increase: $42.

Near the threshold: base rent $1,640 in 2026. The unit is under $1,670, so the 1.8% cap applies. Calculation: $1,640 × 1.018 = $1,669.52 before optional rounding. If rounded to $1,670, that mid-2026 rent does not change the unit's 2026 exemption status, which is based on rent payable on December 31, 2025. If rent is still below $2,000 on December 31, 2026, the 2027 guideline applies. At 3.0%, the next increase is $50.10 before optional rounding.

Exempt Units

Units renting at or above $1,670 (2026) or $2,000 (2027), qualifying new buildings within the 20-year exemption, and specified subsidized housing are not bound by the percentage cap. For units subject to rent regulation, Section 26 requires the notice to state the increase in dollars and as a percentage; for units not subject to rent regulation, Section 27 requires the amount of the intended increase.

Timing Matters

The guideline that governs is the one in force on the effective date of the increase, not the date you serve notice. A notice served in November 2026 for a February 1, 2027 increase uses the 2027 rate of 3.0%, not 2026's 1.8%.

Non-Monthly Tenancies

For weekly or biweekly tenancies, convert to an annual figure, apply the guideline, then convert back. A $350/week rent is $18,200 annually. At 1.8%: $18,200 × 1.018 = $18,527.60, divided by 52 = $356.30 per week before optional rounding.

The Manitoba Rent Increase Landlord's Guide includes calculation worksheets for both monthly and non-monthly payment cycles, with pre-built fields for base rent, discount verification, and exemption status — so the number on Form 1A is correct the first time.

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