Rental rates of multifamily properties throughout the United States were flat in September, the first such drop in nearly one year.
Average monthly rents last month were $1,219, a drop of $1 from August, according to Yardi Matrix, a commercial real estate research and data service that specializes in the apartment industry.
That was the first month-over-month drop of any kind in multifamily rents since last November, suggesting the demand for apartment space might be dropping slightly.
Year-over-year, the picture was more encouraging: nationwide rents were up 4.7 percent, according to Yardi Matrix, whose data is based on a survey of 23 submarkets.
Of the top 30 markets, 26 of them experienced year-over-year rent growth of 3 percent of better during September. That included the Inland Empire, where multifamily rents grew nine percent during that time, according to Yardi Matrix.