Apartments.com raises its 2027 U.S. multifamily rent growth forecast to 2.6%

Apartments.com, a CoStar Group marketplace, said it raised its U.S. multifamily outlook and now projects annual rent growth of 1.4% through the fourth quarter of 2026 and 2.6% by the fourth quarter of 2027, up from a prior 1.9% for that period. National vacancy is expected to hold near 7.9% through 2026 and fall to 7.5% by the end of 2027. The company said demand has exceeded expectations while new deliveries continue to decline. CoStar's Grant Montgomery said risks to the forecast appear balanced and depend on a broadly stable labor market.