Landlords: We’re raising rents next year 

Want more housing market stories from Lance Lambert’s ResiClub in your inbox? Subscribe to the ResiClub newsletter. ResiClub recently teamed up once again with LendingOne, one of the fastest-growing private real estate lenders in the country, to do a Q4 survey of single-family rental investors. Investors who own at least one single-family investment property were eligible to respond to the LendingOne-ResiClub SFR Investor Survey, fielded between November 14 and November 26. In total, 202 single-family investors/landlords completed the Q4 survey. Here are some of the top findings: 84% of single-family landlords expect to raise their rents in 2025, including 40% who expect the increase to exceed 4%. 76% of single-family investors say they are either “very likely” (55%) or “somewhat likely” (21%) to buy at least one investment property in 2025. Last quarter, just 60% of single-family investors said they were “very likely” (38%) or “somewhat likely” (22%) to buy at least one investment property in the following 12 months. 33% of single-family investors say they are either “very likely” (18%) or “somewhat likely” (15%) to sell at least one of their investment properties in 2025. 48% of single-family investors say rising home insurance premiums either “significantly impacted” (18%) or “moderately impacted” (30%) their cash flow in 2024. That figure was the highest in the Southwest (60%) and Southeast (53%). 83% of single-family investors describe rental demand in their primary investment market in 2024 as “very strong” (37%) or “somewhat strong” (46%). 87% of single-family investors predict rental demand in their primary investment market in 2025 will be “very strong” (31%) or “somewhat strong” (56%). 76% of single-family investors expect positive home price appreciation in their primary investment market in 2025, including 33% who anticipate appreciation exceeding 4%. 40% of single-family investors expect the average 30-year fixed-mortgage rate to end 2025 below 6%, while 60% expect mortgage rates to remain over 6%. 37% of single-family investors say their biggest increased expense in 2024 was home insurance. Among single-family investors in the Southeast it was 46%. Big picture: The 2025 outlook for single-family investors is marked by cautious optimism about rental demand, rent growth, and price appreciation, but it’s tempered by concerns over rising costs and interest rates.  “We have found that clients have resumed making decisions after the election and focused on their acquisition strategies for 2025,” says LendingOne CEO Matthew Neisser. “They are more likely to add to their portfolio compared to last year primarily because they are bullish on rental demand, driven by a continued lack of [single-family] rental inventory. As the housing market steadies and for-sale inventory returns to normal levels, we expect more favorable buying opportunities to emerge in some markets. At the same time, investors should temper expectations for outsized rent increases like 2021-22 and focus on sustainable, data-driven investment strategies to maximize long-term returns.” “The survey results highlight both the resilience and adaptability of single-family investors as they look ahead to 2025,” says Neisser. “Strong rental demand and mild expectations for rent growth underscore the opportunities in this space, but rising costs—especially insurance—and a divided outlook on mortgage rates remind us that careful planning will be key.”