Toward the conclusion of 2023, the pace of construction for single-family homes designed specifically for rental purposes picked up, driven by builders aiming to increase the supply of rental housing amidst heightened mortgage interest rates in the market.
According to NAHB, The analysis of data from the Census Bureau’s Quarterly Starts and Completions by Purpose and Design, there were approximately 22,000 single-family built-for-rent (SFBFR) starts during the fourth quarter of 2023. This is more than 29% higher than the fourth quarter of 2022. Over the last four quarters, 75,000 such homes began construction, which is almost a 9% increase compared to the 69,000 estimated SFBFR starts in the four quarter prior to that period.
The SFBFR market is a source of inventory amid challenges over housing affordability and downpayment requirements in the for-sale market, particularly during a period when a growing number of people want more space and a single-family structure. Single-family built-for-rent construction differs in terms of structural characteristics compared to other newly-built single-family homes, particularly with respect to home size. However, investor demand for single-family homes, both existing and new, has cooled with higher interest rates. Nonetheless, builders continue to build smaller projects of built-for-rent homes for their own operation.
