By Kimberly Stepp, Principal, Stepp Commercial The strength of the Greater Los Angeles apartment market has exceeded expectations coming out of the pandemic. Despite reports of an exodus from California and population decline in the metro, apartment rental demand is seeing an all-time high, with net absorption of units running at its highest level in decades. As a result, vacancy is at a low 3.4 percent, lower than the pre-COVID level of 4.4 percent. Asking rents have seen a 7.7 percent growth over the past 12 months, while the national rate is 11.1 percent. Average monthly asking rents across LA County stand at $2,130, albeit still lower than the median monthly home payment of $2,659. Los Angeles multifamily market fundamentals remain favorable for investors. The area has one of the highest percentages of renters of any U.S. metro, comprising approximately half of all households. Already hefty housing prices in a highly competitive market have seen even greater increases over the past 20 months, resulting in a median home price of $795,000. This has left a significant part of the population priced out of homeownership. High construction costs, NIMBY sentiment and onerous permitting continue to plague the ability to deliver desperately needed housing units. …
