13 things that will cost you more in Ottawa in 2026

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Ottawa residents will be paying more to board public transit, use City of Ottawa services and to park in 2026.

CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at 13 things that will cost you more in Ottawa in the new year.

OC Transpo fares

It will cost you more to board OC Transpo buses and the O-Train in 2026. Council approved a 2.5 per cent increase in transit fares, effective Jan. 1.

Here is a look at the new transit fares in 2026.

• Adult monthly pass: $138.50/month ($135 in 2025)
• U-Pass: $60.17 per month ($58.70 per month in 2025)
• Senior monthly pass: $59.75 ($58.25 in 2025)
• 3-day pass: $30.75 ($30 in 2025)
• 5-day pass: $49 ($47.75 in 2025)
• Adult single-fare ride (paid by card): $4.10 ($4 in 2025)
• Adult single-fare ride (paid by cash): $4.15 ($4.05 in 2025)
• Senior single-ride fare (paid by e-purse): $3.28 ($3.20 in 2025)
• Pre-teen single ride fare (paid by e-purse: $2.05 ($2 in 2025)

The EquiPass and Community monthly passes will remain the same as the 2025 rates.

City of Ottawa tax bill

Ottawa homeowners will see a 3.75 per cent increase in their property tax bill in 2026.

The council approved budget includes an increase of $166 to the average property tax bill.

According to the city, an average home assessed at $415,000 would pay $56 more for city services, $36 more for police and $74 extra for transit in 2026.

City of Ottawa services

Homeowners will be paying more to turn on the taps and put out the garbage and recycling in 2026.

The water, wastewater and stormwater bill will increase 4.5 per cent in 2026, costing the average single-family home an extra $47.30.

The solid waste services fee will increase $2 a month on the tax bill, for a total of $24 extra on the bill in 2026. The average property taxpayer will pay $267 for solid waste services in 2026.

Recreation Fees

Recreation fees at City of Ottawa facilities will increase three per cent in 2026, including the cost for arena rentals, memberships to museums, day camps and fitness programs.

Here is a look at some of the rate increases, effective Jan. 1:

• Arena rental – adult: $351.75 an hour ($341.67 in 2025)
• Arena rental – minor: $210.85 an hour ($204.81 in 2025)
• Arena rental - commercial: $362.05 ($351.58 in 2025)
• Arena rental – non-prime time: $164.03 ($159.33 in 2025)
• Artificial turf – adult: $147.16 ($142.94 in 2025)
• Sports fields/ball diamonds – adult: $21.05-$51.59 ($20.45-$50.11 in 2025)
• Sports fields/ball diamonds – minor: $6.64-$10.01 ($6.45-$9.72 in 2025)
• Aquatics – Learn to Swim: $5.44-$33.88 ($5.28-$32.91 in 2025)
• Memberships – museum: $40.68 ($39.51 in 2025)
• Gymnasium Minor: $48.93 ($47.53 in 2025)
• Gymnasium Non-Prime: $48.93 ($47.53 in 2025)
• Gymnasium Prime: $69.95 ($67.95 in 2025)
• Gymnasium Premium: $99.35 ($96.50 in 2025)

Fees for Lansdowne, museums, museum admission, and the Nepean Sportsplex will also increase three per cent.

Parking permits

Drivers will be paying more for on-street parking permits and at municipal lots in 2026.

The cost of on-street residential parking permits will increase between 2.8 per cent and 3 per cent, effective Jan. 1:

• Residential parking permit annual fee: Up $22 to $792 a year.
• Residential parking permit - summer: Increasing $1 to $37 a month.
• Residential parking permit - winter: Up $5 to $172 a month.
• Residential parking permits - week or less. Summer: Up $0.25 to $9.25
• Residential parking permits - week or less. Winter: Up $1.25 to $43.

Staff have the authority to increase the maximum hourly rate for municipal parking lots in the City of Ottawa. According to the 2026 budget, the maximum hourly off-street rate in all lots for a maximum of 30 minutes will be $8 ($6.50 in 2025), while the maximum daily rate will jump $1 to $26.

First Aid Courses

The cost of first aid courses operated by the City of Ottawa will increase 3.3 per cent in 2026.

• Standard First Aid Certification (two-day course): $155.40 ($150.50 in 2025)
• Standard First Aid Recertification (one-day course): $102.55 ($99.30 in 2025)
• Emergency First Aid Recertification (one-day course): $102.55 ($99.30 in 2025)
• First Aid Instructor Certification (two-day course): $264.70 ($256.35 in 2025)

Ottawa police fees

The Ottawa Police Service will increase fees for police record checks and motor vehicle collision reports.

Here is a look at some of the fee increases, effective Jan. 1:

• Police Records Check – Vulnerable Sector Employment: $74 ($72 in 2025)
• Police Records Check – Adoption: $122 ($118 in 2025)
• Police Records Check – Pardon Applicants: $74 ($72 in 2025)
• Criminal Records and Judicial Matters Check: $74 ($72 in 2025)
• Motor Vehicle Collision Reports (Freedom of Information request): $222.50 ($214.98 in 2025)
• Occurrence Report: $66 ($64 in 2025)
• Impound Recovery Fee: $205 ($200 in 2025)
• False Alarm Fee: $182 ($176 in 2025)

Short-term rentals

The operators of short-term rentals will be paying more for a licence in 2026.

The budget includes an 8.3 per cent increase in the application/renewal processing fee to $65, and the cost of a two-year host permit fee will jump $2 to $58.

Municipal Accommodation Tax

Visitors staying in hotels will be paying more to fund tourism in Ottawa in 2026.

The City of Ottawa’s budget increases the Municipal Accommodation Tax by one per cent to six per cent on Jan. 1, 2026. A six per cent fee is added to the nightly cost of the room to fund tourism initiatives.

A total of $2 million from the one per cent increase will go towards the Lansdowne 2.0 project. The remaining $3 million from the Municipal Accommodation Tax increase will support city tourism priorities.

Saying, “I Do”

The cost of getting married will increase in the City of Ottawa in 2026.

The 2026 budget increases the cost of a marriage license to $192.14, up from $186.55 in 2025.

Civil marriages at Ottawa City Hall will increase three per cent. The Option A: Monday to Friday civil marriage during business hours will cost $168 in 2026, up from $163.18 in 2025.

The Option B: Friday evening and Saturday afternoons civil marriage will cost $252, up from $244.72 in 2025.

The cost of a death registration will jump from $52.28 to $54.

Business licencing fees

The City of Ottawa will increase the cost of business licencing fees between 2.6 per cent and 12 per cent as of Jan. 1, 2026.

The application processing fee for a business licence will increase $5 to $65.

• Food premises: $233 in 2026 ($226 in 2025)
• Driving school instructor: $185 in 2026 ($179 in 2025)
• Snowplow contractor licence $393 in 2026 ($381 in 2025)
• Tobacco and vape product vendor licences: $983 in 2026 ($953 in 2025)
• Pet shop: $131 in 2026 ($127 in 2025)
• Exotic animal entertainment: $314 ($304 in 2025)
• Rickshaw operator licence: $57 in 2026 ($55 in 2025)
• Payday Loan establishment: $619 ($600 in 2025)
• All-night dance event licence: $351 in 2026 ($340 in 2025)
• Kennel – Boarding: $128 in 2026 ($124 in 2025)
• A fireworks permit will increase to $89 ($79 in 2025)

Hydro Ottawa rates

Ottawa residents will be paying more to turn on the lights in 2026, but the exact amount is still unknown.

Hydro Ottawa filed an application to increase distribution rates $6.08 a month in 2026, and then between $2.72 and $3.79 a month between 2027 and 2030.

According to the Ontario Energy Board’s website, Hydro Ottawa will make a presentation on a settlement for its application on Jan. 14.

“Hydro Ottawa’s 2026-2030 (Distribution System Plan) outlines an increase in capital investments compared to the previous five-year period, driven by the necessity to modernize and expand the grid to meet evolving community needs and address climate change,” Hydro Ottawa said.

The utility said the increase will help Hydro Ottawa focus on four investment priorities, including growth, renewing deteriorating infrastructure, modernizing the grid and enhancing resilience.

Rental rates

Ottawa renters will be paying more for rent in 2026.

Ontario has set the maximum legal rent hike for controlled units at 2.1 per cent in the new year.

However, thousands of Ottawa renters living in multi-residential buildings built prior to 2001 will receive a rent decrease this year.

The City of Ottawa sent a “notice of rent reduction – municipal taxes reduced” letter to tenants living in older apartment buildings in October, notifying them the rent for their rental units will be automatically reduced by 0.89 per cent as of Jan. 1, 2026.

A tenant paying $2,000 per month in rent will see rent drop $16 a month under the automatic rent reduction, according to the city.