NNSL (DEC 04/96) - Apartment vacancies in Yellowknife rose slightly in 1996, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation reports.

But despite a vacancy rate of 6.6 per cent, up from six per cent in 1995, rental rates remain relatively unchanged.

The average rental rate for a bachelor apartment in Yellowknife was $655 in 1996, up from $648 in 1995; rent for an average one-bedroom suite was $856, down $1 from 1995; a two-bedroom average rent is $1,050, down $3 from 1995; and the average three-bedroom unit rents for $1,213, down $30 from the year before.

Of the 1,495 units for rent in the city there are 99 vacancies, show the CMHC figures.

The vacancy rate continues to be high because of low interest rates, reduced government spending and the reduction of public sector employees, said Ed Suzuki, CMHC's market analyst, who compiled the information.

Although the overall vacancy rate has changed little over the year, there has been a shift in the type of dwelling that has or has not been rented.

Bachelor apartments have a zero-per-cent vacancy rate, down considerably from a 9.3 per-cent rate in 1995.

Three bedroom apartments have seen similar activity. The vacancy rate for this size of rental property now sits at 1.1 per cent, down from 7.3 per cent last year.

On the other hand, vacancies in two-bedroom apartments have increased to 6.4 per cent from 2.8 per cent.

The vacancy rate in one bedroom apartments has remained relatively unchanged, now sitting at 9.1 per cent from 8.5 per cent last year.

The 1,495 apartments in the survey include 53 bachelor suites, 630 one-bedroom apartments, 626 two-bedroom apartments and 179 three-bedroom units.

In the past, CMHC has conducted a rental market survey that includes houses and other types of rental properties.

Suzuki said the remainder of the survey will be finished in mid-December.

The apartment vacancy rates were released earlier than usual this year, he said.