Seattle Area Rental Market Report 2026

Do renters want homes that allow pets?

Yes, and more of them than before. In 2018, about 4 in 10 renters who answered our pet question had a dog, a cat or both. Since 2022, it has been about half.

This year, 745 of the 1,474 renters who answered had pets: 51%. More than four in ten of the leases we signed this year have a pet on them.

Pet owners were good residents, too. Among residents who moved out of homes we manage over the last two years, 25% of those with pets had ever paid late, against 29% of those without. They stayed about as long: 30 months against 29.

This counts pets only. Service and assistance animals aren't pets, and different rules apply to them.

Where do renters look for a home?

Zillow. 61% of the renters who contacted us came through it.

That is 9,760 of 16,053 inquiries, counting Zillow's instant tours. No other site sent more than one in seven.

What kind of rental do renters want most?

A three-bedroom home renting for $2,000 to $2,999.

Three-bedroom homes drew 2.5 inquiries a day, more than twice the rate of one-bedrooms. Homes priced $2,000 to $2,999 drew the most interest of any price range, 2.6 to 2.7 inquiries a day.

They leased quickly, too: a typical home in that range leased in 9 to 12 days. Homes under $2,000 took 17 to 20.

Two-bedroom homes were close behind, at 2.0 inquiries a day, and leased in a typical 15 days, against 12 for three-bedrooms.

Does keeping a good resident pay?

Yes. Renewals raised rent a typical 4.9%. A new resident typically brought no increase at all.

Over the last year, when a home changed residents, the typical new rent was the same as the last one. More than half re-rented for the same or less. Every month a home sits empty between residents also costs a full month of rent. On a $2,400 home, that's $2,400 a renewal would have kept.

Good residents are staying longer, too. Residents who moved out on their own had stayed a typical two years, up from 21 months the year before. Most left for life reasons: a new job, a move, or buying a home. About 1 in 15 said the rent was too high.

What would a vacancy cost on your home? Get your free rental analysis

Rent changes and renewal notices follow Washington law and local rules, which differ from city to city.

When is the best time to have a rental on the market?

Early spring. Homes listed in March leased in a typical 7 days, and in April 9.

May is when the most homes come on the market, and the most sit: homes listed in May took 20 days, and nearly a third sat for more than a month. Listing in March or April puts your home ahead of that crowd. November was slow, too, at 19 days.

Changing an existing lease's end date comes with notice rules that differ by city, so check yours first.