SEATTLE, Nov. 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- (NASDAQ: RDFN) — Average monthly rents increased 13% nationwide over the past year, the highest growth rate in at least two years, according to a new report from Redfin (www.redfin.com), the technology-powered real estate brokerage.

The national median monthly mortgage payment for homebuyers posted even bigger growth, climbing 17% since October 2020. The 3.2% month-over-month increase in mortgage payments for homebuyers was the largest since April, and more than double the increase during the same period in 2019. Growth rates for mortgage payments and rents had been converging, but an uptick in mortgage rates and home prices caused mortgage-payment growth to accelerate from September to October. The 0.4% month-over-month increase in rents was the smallest in eight months, which could just be a seasonal slowdown or may signal some potential relief for renters.

Rent price increases outpaced mortgage payments for new homebuyers in 29 of the 50 largest metro areas in the U.S. during October.

Rents are Up Over 30% In Many Major Metro Areas

The metro areas with the biggest increases in rent prices—up over 30%—were in Florida, Washington State, Oregon, Texas, and New York.

"Fast-rising rents could contribute to inflation woes," said Redfin Chief Economist Daryl Fairweather. "Employees facing higher rents are likely to demand higher compensation from their employers, which could in turn lead to even more inflation down the line. Skyrocketing rents in some of the most desirable cities suggest that there is an overall shortage of homes, and not just of homes for sale. The 'Build Back Better' bill that is currently being debated by Congress contains $150 billion in spending earmarked for affordable housing, which could at least begin to address the issue, but the bottom line is that a lot more housing needs to be built in the places that are growing the most."

Top 10 Metro Areas With Fastest-Rising Rents

1. West Palm Beach, FL (36%)
2. Fort Lauderdale, FL  (36%)
3. Miami, FL (36%)
4. Seattle, WA (32%)
5. Jacksonville, FL (32%)
6. Portland, OR (31%)
7. Austin, TX (31%)
8. Newark, NJ (31%)
9. Nassau County, NY (31%)
10. New York, NY (31%)

Only St. Louis saw rents decline at (-4%). St. Louis also was the only metro to see a decrease in rent in October compared to a year earlier.

Only 15 of the 50 largest metro areas saw rents rise more slowly than the 13% national average, including Chicago (+11%), Pittsburgh (+7%) and San Francisco (+7%).

To read the full report, including the full metro-level data, charts and methodology, please visit: https://www.redfin.com/news/redfin-rental-report-rents-up-30pct-in-some-cities/

About Redfin
Redfin (www.redfin.com) is a technology-powered real estate company. We help people find a place to live with brokerage, instant home-buying (iBuying), rentals, lending, title insurance, and renovations services. We sell homes for more money and charge half the fee. We also run the country's #1 real-estate brokerage site. Our home-buying customers see homes first with on-demand tours, and our lending and title services help them close quickly. Customers selling a home can take an instant cash offer from Redfin or have our renovations crew fix up their home to sell for top dollar. Our rentals business empowers millions nationwide to find apartments and houses for rent. Since launching in 2006, we've saved customers more than $1 billion in commissions. We serve more than 100 markets across the U.S. and Canada and employ over 6,000 people.

For more information or to contact a local Redfin real estate agent, visit www.redfin.com. To learn about housing market trends and download data, visit the Redfin Data Center. To be added to Redfin's press release distribution list, email press@redfin.com. To view Redfin's press center, click here.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/redfin-reports-rents-up-13-outpaced-by-17-growth-in-monthly-mortgage-payments-301431207.html

SOURCE Redfin