Report
Adler Salomon ...
  • Stephen Buteau
  • Steven Jellinek

Multifamily and Single-Family Rentals to Continue Outpacing the Rest of the U.S. Housing Market

DBRS, Inc. (DBRS Morningstar) published a commentary titled “Multifamily and Single-Family Rentals to Continue Outpacing the Rest of the U.S. Housing Market,” which reviews the key drivers behind multifamily and single-family rental growth. The commentary also provides and our view of why these asset classes will remain the fastest growing segment of the U.S. housing market.

Key Highlights:
• From 2000 through 2020, the inventory of combined single-family and multifamily rental units grew by 26.0%, compared with just 21.2% for owner-occupied units, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
• Lack of mortgage affordability is the primary driver of growth in both single-family and multifamily rentals. High debt burdens (student loans and credit card debt) and wage levels that lag the cost of living make it difficult for many potential homebuyers to afford a house, making single-family and multifamily rentals an attractive alternative.
• The total single-family and multifamily rental inventory has risen faster than the overall U.S. housing inventory, up 23.5% to approximately 44.9 million units in 2020 from about 36.3 million units in 2000. Another sign of the strong demand for rental units, nationwide vacancy for all rental units has dropped to a 20-year low of 6.4% in 2020, down from a high of 10.8% in 2009.

“Single-family rental may be the new first home because of lack of affordability that is attributable to low supply of single-family homes, particularly in the lower-tier price points,” says Adler Salomon, Senior Vice President, U.S. RMBS. Similarly, “Multifamily housing has risen in importance during the great financial crisis and continues to grow as a result of the influx of millennials into the marketplace,” according to Steve Jellinek, Head of North American CMBS Research.
Provider
DBRS Morningstar
DBRS Morningstar

DBRS Morningstar is a global credit ratings business with 700 employees in eight offices globally. DBRS and Morningstar Credit Ratings are committed to empowering investor success, serving the market through leading-edge technology and raising the bar for the industry.

Together, we are the world’s fourth largest credit ratings agency and a market leader in Canada, the U.S. and Europe in multiple asset classes. We rate more than 2,600 issuers and 54,000 securities worldwide and are driven to bring more clarity, diversity and responsiveness to the ratings process. Our approach and size provide the agility to respond to customers’ needs, while being large enough to provide the necessary expertise and resources. For more details visit us at dbrs.com.

Analysts
Adler Salomon

Stephen Buteau

Steven Jellinek

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