Canadian Renters Are More Comfortable With Building AI Than You Think

Canadian renters are more open to AI than you think: what operations teams should do now

For years, the default stance on AI in buildings has been caution. We expected the same when we reviewed simplydbs' 2025 Canadian Multi-Residential Satisfaction Study. The data went the other way. Most renters are comfortable with AI in building operations, including tools many assumed would be contentious, like facial recognition.

Across applications such as predictive maintenance, security systems, and operational efficiencies, roughly 60% to 75% of renters reported comfort or neutrality. "Comfort" here includes essential, nice to have, or indifferent. That's a wide permission slip for operations leaders to improve service and reduce friction; see AI for Operations. Still, be mindful about privacy and consent.

Purpose matters more than age

No single age group was consistently the most accepting or the most resistant. Acceptance shifted by use case. That's the headline.

Older renters showed the highest comfort with AI surveillance that flags suspicious behaviour: about 80% of renters aged 70+ were comfortable, compared with 64% of renters aged 19-29. Flip the scenario and the pattern changes. For AI chatbots that handle amenity bookings, renters aged 30-39 were roughly 15 points more comfortable than those 70+.

Some tools drew steady support across ages. AI-assisted background checks, rental history verification, and energy-saving suggestions all scored consistently high comfort. These are seen as practical, low-risk, and clearly useful.

Ops takeaway: Select use cases based on clear resident value. Safety features resonate more with older populations; digital self-service shines with younger renters. Don't make age the strategy-make the use case the strategy.

Provincial differences exist, but use case still leads

Geography didn't create fixed attitudes either. Comfort changed by application. That said, Quebec posted the highest overall comfort across all 15 AI applications in the study. British Columbia showed some of the lowest overall comfort, yet still a majority position across applications.

The same three use cases topped both Quebec and British Columbia: package delivery management, personalized notifications (rent, maintenance, community updates), and predictive maintenance. Even in a province with lower overall comfort, renters aligned on what's most valuable.