More than two years of declining rents are sparking moving plans for many renters to gain space, save money or explore a new area, according to a new report from Realtor.com.
Rent prices fell year over year for the 25th consecutive month in August, while also registering the first month-over-month drop since March 2025, signaling the expected seasonal slowdown heading into the fall.
“Rental declines across the majority of markets in various-sized homes are providing new options for renters, who have been squeezed by significant increases since the pandemic,” said Danielle Hale, chief economist at realtor.com, in a release.
“As rents remain significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels, our Site Visitor Survey shows that the search for a more affordable home remains one of the top reasons to move across all age groups. This is likely a reason why we’re starting to see a modest uptick in renter mobility.”
Rent Prices Dropping Across All Unit Sizes
Median rent declined across units in all size categories examined by realtor.com. Studio rents dropped to $1,430 per month, down $25 (-1.7%) year over year; 1-bedrooms fell to $1,593, down $35 (-2.1%) year over year; and 2-bedrooms, which experienced the highest growth rate over the past six years, registered the largest declines, landing at $1,897, down $42 (-2.2%) year over year.
Why Renters Are Ready to Move
With rents easing, more renters are exploring a move.
When rents rose in 2021–2022, nearly 80% of renters stayed put, with mobility around 20.8%. Census data shows renter mobility edged up in 2023 (21.5%) and continued to rise in 2024 (21.6%).
Data from the realtor.com Site Visitor Survey reveals renters are most often considering a move to gain more space, find a more affordable home, or try out a new neighborhood.
Big Price Declines in Numerous Major Markets
Markets with the largest rental price declines from their peaks, including Las Vegas (-13.6%), Atlanta (-13.6%), and Austin, Texas (-13.4%) in particular, are creating pockets of opportunity for renters looking to make a move.
Reasons for mobility vary by age, with younger and older renters more likely to move for affordability reasons, while middle-aged renters may be looking for more space to accommodate a growing family.
“Renters focused on affordability are often willing to make compromises, like choosing a longer commute, fewer amenities or fewer on-site services,” said Jiayi Xu, economist at realtor.com, in the release.
“It shows that many households are carefully weighing costs against lifestyle, making tradeoffs to find a home that better fits their budget.”
Top Reasons Renters Are Making a Move:
- Want a larger space TIED with Something more affordable
- Looking for a different type of neighborhood (younger demographic)
- Current living arrangements no longer available
- Move for work
- Closer to family and/or friends
- Household getting larger
- Looking for a more social community (older demographic)
- Downsizing
- Household getting smaller
- More community amenities (younger AND older demographics)
- Better school district
Renters Remain Hopeful About Ownership, But Barriers Persist
Even as the average age of home buyers reached an all-time high of 38 in 2024 and many renters remain priced out of buying, optimism about ownership is strong.
Nearly 60% of renters surveyed said they plan to buy a home, and of those, more than half expect to do so within the next one to two years. At the same time, barriers such as saving for a down payment, limited affordable inventory, and credit constraints remain the top reasons people continue to rent.
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