By the end of this year, Calgary's full secondary suite policies will put into play a "gentle density" housing market.
After consulting with community associations and collecting online public feedback, city administrators will send design guidelines for backyard suites to committee and city council for approval.

Lisa Kahn, the City of Calgary's legislation and land-use bylaws co-ordinator, says the new rules will govern how backyard suites look and interact with their communities.

Challenges continue for Calgary's rental market

"Very cautious optimism" is how Gerry Baxter, executive director of the Calgary Residential Rental Association, describes the industry's view of Calgary's current rental landscape.

While Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. (CMHC) pegged Calgary's rental vacancy rate at seven per cent last fall – the highest it's been in more than 25 years – Baxter says he thinks residential vacancies in the city are actually closer to the eight-to-10-per-cent range.

"There's been some slight improvement in the rental market over the last few weeks, but it's still a challenge to rent," said Baxter, attributing the slack rental market to the economic downturn that started in late 2014 and early 2015.

Month after month the reports come in and month after month Calgary is still holding at a bleak one per cent rental vacancy.

In a report released by CIBC World Markets Inc., Calgary was shown to have the lowest rental vacancy rate out of the major city markets in Canada.

You wouldn't blame Calgary renters for welcoming the end of 2013.

In a year dominated by nearly non-existent vacancy rates, climbing rents and dwindling supply, would-be Calgary tenants had it rough last year. There are however, a few developments that could have renters in the city breathing a little easier.