Understanding your Lease: The Terms to check before you sign
A lease is a binding contract, and the fine print is where renters lose money. Here are the specific clauses to read clo…
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San Francisco banned rent algorithms two years ago but it isn't helping as rents keep on rising
San Francisco's rent algorithm ban has produced zero lawsuits in two years while rent hit records. Our month-by-month da…
The average Social Security check cannot cover a studio in any large US city
The average retired worker collects about $2,084 a month. Run that through the standard affordability rule and it buys $…
How much does utilities and renters insurance add to rent?
Utilities and insurance are close to a fixed monthly cost, so they add a far bigger share to a $1,262 rent than a $4,539…
In 7 of 8 major metros, the top suburb now costs more to rent than the city
Renters still assume moving to the suburbs saves money. We checked eight well-known suburb and city pairs, and in seven …
Renting beats buying a home by $2,049 a month in L.A., the widest gap of any big metro
The gap between buying and renting a small home in Los Angeles is $2,049 a month, the biggest in the country. Flat LA re…
Chicago rent is up 55% since 2015, and the sharpest jump came this year
Chicago rent has risen 55% since 2015, from $1,552 to $2,409. Most of the pain was gradual, but the largest one-year jum…
Getting a loan to pay rent: preference or desperation?
Pay-later lenders now finance rent, and the industry says it's meeting demand. Half of borrowers say they couldn't make …
Pittsburgh is still one of the affordable big cities, but rent is climbing fast
Pittsburgh rent of $1,593 still looks like a bargain next to the coasts. The catch is the trajectory: it rose 7.1% in a …
For 10 years, this Washington DC house rented rooms for $700. Now it’s gone
For a decade, nuns in Northeast D.C. rented rooms to young women for $500 a month. The house closed last month, and the …
How much you need to earn per hour to afford a one-bedroom in 19 big cities
Affording a one-bedroom on a single income takes anywhere from $18.98 an hour in Detroit to $55.92 in San Jose. Every fi…
Boomers and Gen Z didn't enter the same rental market. Half of renters are now cost-burdened.
The generational complaint about rent holds up, though not for the reason most people give. The typical renter still pay…
College town rents are cooling as student housing floods in, but a few still climb
A wave of purpose-built student housing is pulling rents down in college towns like Ann Arbor and College Station. A han…
Families with kids are the most rent-burdened Americans
Half of American renters spend more than 30% of income on rent, but families with kids have it worst at 54%. Our data sh…
Airbnb sends Salt Lake City cease and desist over alleged fake booking accounts
Airbnb accused Salt Lake City of using fake guest accounts to catch short-term rental hosts breaking a new ordinance. Th…
The beach-town rent premium is cracking in Florida but surging on the Jersey Shore
Living near the water still costs a premium, but the market is splitting. Florida's Gulf coast is cooling while the Jers…
Manhattan rent hit a record $5,000 as apartments vanish from the market
Manhattan's median rent set a record at $5,000 in July, with Brooklyn at $4,500. The sharper story is the vanishing supp…
Franklin and Brentwood now cost more to rent than Nashville itself
Renting in Nashville's two priciest suburbs, Franklin and Brentwood, now costs more than renting in Nashville proper. Th…
Seattle bans pet rent and other rental junk fees, but not until 2027
Seattle's council banned pet rent, package fees and other add-on charges in an 8-0 vote. The rules don't take effect unt…
Only 9 of these 30 jobs can afford a one-bedroom in Los Angeles
Renting a one-bedroom alone in Los Angeles requires about $91,400 a year. Of 30 common occupations, nine earn enough, an…
How to Negotiate your rent, and how to know when you have Leverage
Rent negotiation is less about confidence than about conditions. You have real leverage where supply is rising and rents…
Houston rent looks cheap until you compare it with local incomes
Affording the typical Houston apartment takes about $62,680 a year. The median Houston household earns $64,813, which cl…
Why more Americans in their 30s are moving back home with their parents
Renting the typical US apartment on your own now takes an income of $84,321 a year, up from $63,258 in 2020. That $21,00…
What You Need to Apply for an Apartment: Documents, Fees, and the Process
From photo ID and pay stubs to the 3x income rule and screening timelines, here is exactly what landlords ask for and ho…
California's rent caps now run 8.1% to 8.8%, while Santa Monica caps increases at 2.6%
California's new rent caps took effect August 1, ranging from 8.1% to 8.8% by region. Local rules go much further, with …
Paying rent with a credit card can cost renters more than $700 a year
Card processing fees on rent typically run 2.5% to 3%, so paying a $1,951 rent by card costs about $57 extra every month…
Co-living is growing in Charlotte as renters look for cheaper housing
Co-living rooms in Charlotte start around $189 a week, or $819 a month with utilities included. A typical Charlotte stud…
How Much Rent Can You Afford? The 30% Rule and the Salary Math
A $60,000 salary affords about $1,500 in rent and $100,000 affords $2,500. Here is the full salary-to-rent ladder, plus …
Income rose faster than Rent in 14 large US cities
Household income grew faster than rent in 14 large US cities in the latest year both datasets cover. The list is dominat…
Pet rent can add $800 to $1,400 to a renter’s first-year costs
Pet rent commonly runs $25 to $75 a month per animal, and a one-time deposit or fee adds $200 to $500, so the first year…
About the RentDataNow Blog
The RentDataNow blog is your go-to resource for understanding the U.S. rental market. Our data analysts and housing experts publish regular articles covering rent price trends, city-by-city cost comparisons, and actionable advice for renters and landlords.
Every article is backed by real data from our comprehensive rent database, which tracks median rents across thousands of cities and ZIP codes nationwide. Whether you're researching a new city to move to, tracking how rents are changing in your area, or looking for data to inform your next lease negotiation, our blog has you covered.
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