There was a 17.3 per cent drop in condo apartments available to rent in the Greater Toronto Area in third quarter of 2016 compared to a year earlier, Toronto Real Estate Board says.

“Demand remains very strong for condominium apartments in the Greater Toronto Area. The key issue in the third quarter was the fact that there was a pronounced decline in the number of units available for rent,” said Larry Cerqua, TREB president, adding that fewer new developments became available to investors in the quarter.

The number of signed lease agreements through the board’s system was down 4.8 per cent while rents increased sharply; a 1-bedroom apartment averaged $1,777, up 7.2 per cent; a 2-bedroom apartment averaged $2,419, up 7.9 per cent.