COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE'S ECONOMIC ADVISORS

Family formation, housing conditions, and employment are the leading reasons renters moved into their current homes in 2026, with differences between multifamily and single-family rental households.

On-time rent payments at mom-and-pop multifamily properties are improving faster than other rental segments, adding to signs of an operational recovery as supply recedes.

US multifamily rent growth reached 2.2% year-over-year in August as monthly momentum remained strong and rent gains broadened across more metro areas.

The September 2026 Independent Landlord Rental Performance Report from Chandan Economics and RentRedi shows further improvement across independently operated rental properties. On-time payments rose to 83.2%, year-over-year collections strengthened by 91 basis points, and multifamily continued to narrow the performance gap with smaller rental formats.