Occupancy Jumps Above Last Year as Rents Soften

The national multifamily picture took a clear step up in the week of July 19, led by a notable jump in occupancy. As of July 19, the average U.S. occupancy rate was 94.85 percent, up 49 basis points from the prior week and now 39 basis points above a year ago. That is the first time occupancy has run ahead of last year in months. The leased percentage was 96.74 percent, up 29 basis points on the week and 61 basis points below last year. The improvement was across the board, with gains in essentially every tracked market in the week.

For leasing velocity, results were soft this week. The average number of leases signed was 2.0 per property, flat from the prior week and 0.9 below a year ago, a gap that widened from 0.6 the prior week. With occupancy climbing even as new lease volume held flat and trailed last year, the gain looks more like stronger retention than a wave of new leasing.

Net effective rent gave back a little. NER eased 0.1 percent on the week to $1,758, and annual NER growth for new leases slipped to negative 1.9 percent, after narrowing to negative 1.5 percent the prior week. Pricing softened even as occupancy firmed, a reminder that the two do not always move together. The range across the country stayed wide, with several coastal markets posting positive annual growth while much of the Sun Belt continues to work through negative territory.

RevPAU was $1,667, up 0.4 percent on the week, with the annual comparison improving to negative 1.5 percent from negative 1.7 percent the prior week. The occupancy gain offset softer rents, and revenue per available unit came out ahead. For operators, the read this week is that occupancy strength is doing the heavy lifting on revenue right now, while pricing power stays limited.

Explore our webpage for more insights and resources:
https://bit.ly/Radix_Website