Cara Ng

Renters, this is your year.

It does mean that rent is the place giving you that breathing room.

There's a lot of apartment buildings hitting the market all at once and property managers are trying to fill it.

And they're doing it with freebies.

It is a renter's market, according to Zillow's senior economist Cara Ng.

Okay, it might not feel that way.

Nationally, rent has risen 37% since the pandemic.

But over the last year, it has gone up slower than inflation.

She says that's due to an apartment construction boom.

Ng says renters renewing their lease should also negotiate a deal, like a rent-free month, because they have the negotiation power.

Stephen Basaha, NPR News.