A company running a downtown Halifax apartment building says it’s ready to sweeten the deal for prospective tenants by offering months of free rent.
The only catch? The applicants have to be ready to make a lifestyle change.
“Basically, we’re inviting people to trade in their cars for two times the value of their car in rent,” said Amanda MacDonald, marketing director for Sidewalk Real Estate Development.
The Rent for Rides campaign offers a move-in incentive for tenants at the Agency Art Lofts, a 173-unit building on Hollis Street.
MacDonald says the company will match the value of an applicant’s car in free rent for up to 12 months, depending on the value of their vehicle.
Sidewalk has partnered with O’Regans Green Light on the campaign. Vehicles will be subject to an official inspection and appraisal.
“If they put $5,000 towards rent, then we’ll put $5,000 towards their rent as well. So however many months that takes them through to, up to 12 months,” said MacDonald.
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She says the company is pitching the move as a way to help those commuting downtown cut back on time lost in traffic.
A January report from geolocation company, TomTom, pinned Halifax as having the third-worst traffic among Canadian cities. It found that the average rush-hour commuter spent 111 hours in traffic in 2025.
Rental housing analyst Giacomo Ladas says more landlords are offering move-in incentives as a way to counter higher asking prices.
“We are seeing Nova Scotia for two straight months now be the most expensive province in Canada, surpassing B.C.,” said Ladas, communications director for Rentals.ca.
He says the number of apartments offering up to three months of free rent across the country is beginning to rise.
“Rental housing providers are very hesitant to bring down the asking rents because in some way, that means that they’ve overvalued their units,” he said.
“Even though market conditions play a large factor in it, the last thing they want to do is bring down their prices.”
According to Agency Art Lofts’ website, 29 apartments are vacant. Prices in the building range from $1,700 a month for a one-bedroom unit to $2,900 a month for a two-bedroom.
MacDonald says she’s aware a car-free lifestyle isn’t for everyone, but it could be a worthwhile tradeoff for some.
“No one’s being forced to sell their cars … we’re offering it up as an option that will match their value in free rent credits and I’m looking forward to see if anyone takes us up on it,” she said.
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