REI Lense Blog – page 14
How Crackdowns on Rent Algorithms Are Reshaping Multifamily Pricing for Big Landlords
Federal and state actions against RealPage-style rent algorithms and major landlords like Greystar and Cortland are reshaping how multifamily rents can be set.
7 min read
How Local Rent Relief and Disaster Programs Are Propping Up Small Landlords and Tenants
Local rent relief and disaster recovery programs are tying landlord support to tenant stability, from Renew NC’s Helene repairs to L.A. County’s fire-related rent grants.
8 min read
How New Health and Safety Standards Are Raising Operating Costs for Landlords
New health and safety standards for rentals – from appliances to cooling and lead safety – are raising operating costs for landlords and squeezing bare-bones units.
8 min read
How Local Landlord Registries and Inspection Mandates Are Reshaping U.S. Rentals
Cities from Jackson to Pasadena are rolling out landlord registries, per-unit fees, and proactive rental inspections that are raising compliance stakes for rental owners.
8 min read
How Local Incentives Are Pulling Landlords Into Rental Code Compliance
Cities are testing grants, bonuses, and online tools to bring landlords into rental code compliance without shrinking tight housing supply.
7 min read
Why Landlords Feel Squeezed Even as U.S. Rents Keep Climbing
Rents are rising faster than inflation, yet many U.S. landlords say higher expenses, concessions and payment risk are squeezing margins.
8 min read
State Attorneys General Are Redrawing the Lines on Rent Hikes and Algorithmic Pricing
State attorneys general in NC, OR, WA and DC are forcing big landlords to refund illegal rent hikes, obey rent caps, and curb algorithmic rent-setting.
8 min read
How Accidental Landlords and Wall Street Investors Are Rewriting the U.S. Rental Market
Locked-in homeowners are becoming accidental landlords, adding single-family rentals and new competition for big investors while rent growth still outpaces inflation.
7 min read
From Heat Waves To Habitability: How Cities Are Tightening Cooling Rules And Rental Inspections
As extreme heat and safety concerns grow, cities like Los Angeles, Detroit and Parkersburg are tightening rental cooling, inspection and habitability rules.
7 min read
How New Local Rental Rules Are Reshaping the Landlord–Tenant Balance Across U.S. Cities
Cities and states are tightening rental rules on inspections, rent caps, fees, and cooling, raising compliance costs and forcing landlords to rethink where and how they invest.
9 min read
How New Tenant Protection Laws Are Reshaping U.S. Rental Housing
Cities and states are expanding tenant protections – from rent caps and cooling mandates to inspections and fee limits – reshaping risks for renters and landlords.
8 min read
Investors Now Buy Nearly One in Three U.S. Homes: What It Means for Prices, Renters, and First-Time Buyers
Investors now buy close to 1 in 3 U.S. single-family homes, reshaping competition for buyers as domestic and international capital targets rental demand.
7 min read
When Rent Eats Everything: How Extreme Renter Cost Burdens Are Undermining US Household Finances
Harvard's latest research shows 65% of working-age U.S. renters can't cover basic necessities after paying rent, reshaping budgets, savings, and housing prospects.
7 min read
How Short-Term Rental Management Firms Are Reshaping Hosting Across U.S. Markets
Tech-enabled short-term rental management firms are expanding across U.S. markets, professionalizing hosting and changing how investors and small owners participate.
5 min read
Greystar’s $24 Million Junk-Fee Settlement: What It Means for U.S. Renters and Landlords
A $24 million federal settlement with Greystar over alleged rental junk fees could force clearer, all-in rent pricing across large U.S. multifamily landlords.
7 min read
2026 Housing Outlook: Why At Least 22 U.S. Cities May See Home Prices Fall Even as the Nation Edges Higher
New 2026 housing forecasts point to modest national price gains but nominal declines in at least 22 U.S. metros, reflecting a localized reset driven by affordability and inventory.
7 min read
How Wall Street’s Push Into Single-Family Rentals Is Reshaping Long-Term Renting in America
Large investors are expanding single-family rentals and build-to-rent communities as long-term rentership rises and affordability keeps more households renting.
8 min read
Long-Term Renting Is Reshaping U.S. Housing: Affordability, Investors and the New Normal
High housing costs and inflation are adding millions of long-term renters, boosting single-family rentals and reshaping how investors and retailers navigate U.S. housing.
7 min read
2026 U.S. Housing Market Forecast: Stable Mortgage Rates, Slower Price Growth and Stubborn Costs
Housing forecasts for 2026 point to mid‑6% mortgage rates, slower price growth and a rebound in sales—but rising insurance, taxes and other costs keep affordability tight.
7 min read
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1 min
Why All-Cash Buyers Now Dominate New York City Home Sales — And What It Means for Affordability
More than 60% of NYC home sales in early 2025 were all-cash, far above the national share, reshaping affordability and competition for mortgage-dependent buyers.
6 min read
Santa Fe’s New Minimum Wage Formula: Linking Paychecks to Local Rents
Santa Fe is the first U.S. city to link its minimum wage to local rents, using a blended inflation–rent formula to tackle housing affordability.
7 min read
VA Home Loans: The Underused Zero‑Down Benefit That Helps Veterans Buy Years Sooner
Realtor.com’s new analysis shows VA home loans can help qualified veterans buy homes more than four years sooner on average by removing the down payment hurdle.
7 min read
How Fed Rate Cuts and Cheaper Mortgage Costs Are Slowly Thawing the U.S. Housing Market
Recent and expected rate cuts are lowering mortgage and home equity costs, nudging buyers, refinancers, and renovators toward a slow thaw in the U.S. housing market.
7 min read