WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) Rent Payment Tracker found that as of June 6, 80.8 percent of apartment households paid rent for the month of June. The Washington, D.C.-based organization reports that the June figure is a 0.6 percent increase over May 6, but it is a 0.7 percent decrease from this point in June 2019.
Nearly 20 percent of households with at-risk wages in small multifamily apartments may have difficulty paying rent, according to a study published June 11 by the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies. In addition, 32 percent of renter respondents to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey, conducted from May 28 to June 2, reported “no or slight confidence” in their ability to pay next month’s rent.
“While our Rent Payment Tracker metric continues to show the resilience and strength of the professionally managed apartment industry, it does not necessarily tell the whole story, as it doesn’t capture rent payments for smaller landlords or for affordable and subsidized properties,” says Doug Bibby, president of NMHC.
The organization surveyed apartment management companies responsible for 11.4 million units nationwide. There are 21.4 million apartments nationwide in buildings with more than five units, according to the most recent American Community Survey from the Census Bureau.