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How Is the Greater Los Angeles Metro Rental Market Doing in 2026? May Data & Landlord Insights

CaliforniaLos AngelesMarket Guide

Updated May 16, 2026 · By The Doorstead Team

Here's where Greater Los Angeles rents stand as of May 2026, across all property types — apartments, condos, townhomes, and single-family homes.

The Greater Los Angeles median rent sits at $2,791 in May 2026, down 13.4% year-over-year and taking an average of 70 days to lease — a soft market by any measure, though wildfire displacement from the January 2025 Palisades and Eaton fires continues to compress availability in specific neighborhoods and push localized demand well above citywide trends.

MetricValueChange
Median Rent (All Types, Greater Los Angeles )$2,791-0.4% MoM
Avg. Days on Market70 days
Rent Growth YoY-13.4%

Source: Doorstead market data, aggregated from public records and online rental listings, all rental property types, May 2026.


What's Driving Greater Los Angeles Rental Market Conditions Right Now

Greater Los Angeles Metro Rental Supply and New Construction

New supply across all rental property types in the Los Angeles metro is tightening in 2026. Roughly 6,200 units are projected to deliver metro-wide this year, which would be the lowest total since 2015, and citywide permitting through Q3 2025 ran 11% below the same period in 2024 despite accelerating late in the year. Longer term, state-level reforms like AB 130's CEQA exemptions for infill housing and the city's new Citywide Housing Incentive Program (CHIP) could boost future pipelines, but those effects won't show up in available inventory anytime soon.

Why People Rent in Greater Los Angeles

Demand across the Greater Los Angeles stays sticky because the region's economy doesn't have a single center of gravity. Entertainment anchors Burbank, Glendale, and Culver City; aerospace and tech run through El Segundo, Playa Vista, and Long Beach; biotech and research cluster around Pasadena; downtown's professional base, the ports, and the region's healthcare systems each pull from their own renter pools. Homeownership costs that have kept would-be buyers renting for years compound the effect. The January 2025 wildfires layered on one more constraint — 74% of displaced Pacific Palisades residents and 65% from Altadena were still in temporary housing as of late 2025, pushing concentrated demand into already tight rental stock.

What This Means for Greater Los Angeles Landlords

List and price aggressively now. Spring and summer are peak leasing seasons in the Los Angeles metro, and with units sitting an average of 70 days and rents down 13.4% year-over-year, you cannot afford to let a vacant unit drift through May and June at the wrong price point. The RSO's current 3% allowable increase (locked through June 30, 2027) also limits upside on rent-stabilized units, so pricing right at lease-up is where you have the most leverage.


Greater Los Angeles Metro Rent by City — May 2026

Santa Clarita and Pomona lead the Los Angeles Metro in leasing speed, with homes moving in 48 and 51 days on market respectively, making them the clearest spots of relative demand strength right now. At the other end, Pasadena sits at 91 days on market, though rents are still ticking up 2.2% month-over-month, and Los Angeles city itself clocks 89 days with a 1.3% MoM gain. In both cases, slower absorption hasn't yet pushed landlords to cut asking prices, but high days on market is a warning sign worth watching. Across the metro, most cities are leasing in the 60–75 day range, with Santa Clarita and Pomona as the faster outliers and Pasadena, Los Angeles, and Downey as the slower ones.

CityMedian Rent2BR Median3BR MedianAvg. DOMMoM Change
Los Angeles, CA$2,498$2,532$3,36589 days+1.3%
Long Beach, CA$2,212$2,715$3,91774 days-0.1%
Santa Monica, CA$3,800$5,498$6,19881 days+1.8%
West Hollywood, CA$3,370$4,248$6,47473 days+0.8%
Culver City, CA$3,348$3,300$6,47561 days-1.4%
Downey, CA$2,242$2,465$3,78386 days-1.0%
Pomona, CA$2,315$2,265$3,10051 days-5.2%
Pasadena, CA$2,738$3,068$4,29091 days+2.2%
Glendale, CA$2,500$2,684$5,47558 days+2.2%
Burbank, CA$2,665$2,765$4,23364 days-3.7%
Torrance, CA$2,688$2,833$3,99075 days-0.3%
Arcadia, CA$3,225$2,650$3,89874 days+1.7%
Alhambra, CA$2,415$2,498$3,48361 days-1.5%
Santa Clarita, CA$3,053$2,650$3,68248 days-3.0%
Source: Doorstead market data, aggregated from public records and online rental listings, all property types, May 2026. Median Rent is across all property types. May 2025 to May 2026.
  • Los Angeles, CA: At $2,498 median rent and 89 days on market, LA proper is leasing more slowly than most cities in this report, and the 6.6% year-over-year drop signals that landlords are working harder to attract tenants than they were twelve months ago. The 1.3% month-over-month tick upward is a small positive sign, but with nearly three months of average vacancy, pricing competitively from day one matters more here than almost anywhere else in the metro.

  • Long Beach, CA: Long Beach has the second-sharpest year-over-year rent decline in this report, down 18.9% to a median of $2,212, and at 74 days on market, units are sitting long enough to cost landlords a meaningful chunk of annual income. Month-over-month rent is essentially flat at -0.1%, so there's no near-term bounce visible in the data right now.

  • Santa Monica, CA: Santa Monica's $3,800 median is the highest of any city in this table, and the 1.8% month-over-month gain shows some pricing momentum even as rents sit 12.1% below where they were a year ago. At 81 days on market, leasing is slower than mid-tier cities in the metro, so owners at the top of the price range should expect a longer runway to find qualified tenants.

  • West Hollywood, CA: West Hollywood is moving faster than its Westside neighbors, clearing units in 73 days on average, with a modest 0.8% month-over-month rent gain landing the median at $3,370. The 13.2% year-over-year decline is still significant, meaning rents have reset considerably from 2025 levels even if the short-term direction is slightly positive.

  • Culver City, CA: Culver City is a Westside creative and tech hub anchored by Sony Studios and a cluster of major tech companies, drawing a professional renter base that values walkable streets, farmers markets, and proximity to Silicon Beach employers. At $3,348 median rent and just 61 days on market, it leases faster than Santa Monica or West Hollywood despite comparable price points, though the 1.4% month-over-month dip and a 12.9% year-over-year decline suggest owners should price carefully rather than anchoring to 2025 comps.

  • Downey, CA: Downey's median rent of $2,242 has dropped 20.5% year over year, the steepest annual decline in this entire table, and at 86 days on market, demand is clearly not keeping pace with available supply. The 1.0% month-over-month slip adds to the pressure, so owners here need to be realistic about where the market actually is, not where it was.

  • Pomona, CA: Pomona stands out for leasing speed: at 51 days on market, it clears units faster than all but one city in this report. That speed is somewhat at odds with a 5.2% month-over-month rent drop and a 17.7% year-over-year decline, suggesting demand exists but renters are pushing back hard on price and winning. Owners who price at or slightly below the $2,315 median should see turnover close relatively quickly.

  • Pasadena, CA: Pasadena has the longest average days on market in this report at 91 days, meaning a typical vacancy is eating close to three months of potential rent. The 2.2% month-over-month gain is encouraging and puts the median at $2,738, but the 13.5% year-over-year decline shows the market has repriced substantially from where it was in spring 2025.

  • Glendale, CA: Glendale ties for the strongest month-over-month rent growth in this table at 2.2%, bringing the median to $2,500, and at 58 days on market it leases considerably faster than nearby Pasadena or the city of Los Angeles. The year-over-year drop of 9.9% is the smallest among the San Fernando-adjacent cities here, pointing to a market that has held up relatively better through the broader correction.

  • Burbank, CA: Burbank's median rent has fallen 19.8% year over year to $2,665, one of the steeper annual declines in this report, and the 3.7% month-over-month drop signals that downward pressure hasn't stopped yet. At 64 days on market, units are moving at a moderate pace, but owners should focus on competitive pricing rather than waiting for demand to close the gap.

  • Torrance, CA: Torrance is holding close to flat month over month at -0.3%, with a median rent of $2,688 and 75 days on market, putting it in the middle of the pack on both price and leasing speed. The 12.9% year-over-year decline means rents have reset materially, but the near-flat monthly trend at least suggests the floor may be forming.

  • Arcadia, CA: Arcadia's $3,225 median rent slipped just 1.7% month over month, and the year-over-year decline of 9.3% is among the more moderate drops in this report. At 74 days on market, leasing pace is reasonable for a higher-priced submarket, and the relatively contained annual correction suggests this market has absorbed the broader reset better than many comparable cities.

  • Alhambra, CA: Alhambra is leasing at a solid pace, with units clearing in 61 days on average, though the 1.5% month-over-month rent dip and an 11.3% year-over-year decline put the median at $2,415 and point to continued pricing pressure. Owners who stay close to current market comps rather than last year's rates will have the best chance of minimizing vacancy.

  • Santa Clarita, CA: Santa Clarita is the fastest-leasing market in this report at just 48 days on market, a sign that demand in this submarket is outpacing what's available. Rent has pulled back 3.0% month over month and 8.3% year over year to a median of $3,053, but that combination of quick absorption and a contained annual decline makes it one of the more landlord-friendly positions in the Los Angeles metro right now.


Greater Los Angeles Metro Rent by Bedroom Count and Property Type — May 2026

Rent by Bedroom Count in Greater Los Angeles

The median rent for a 3-bedroom home across the Los Angeles Metro runs $4,455 per month, according to Doorstead platform data. That figure sits well above the 2-bedroom median of $3,012, a $1,443 jump that reflects how sharply demand compresses at the family-sized tier. Rents span from $1,792 for studios up to $5,875 for 4-bedrooms, a $4,083 range that tells landlords one thing clearly: larger properties command disproportionately higher rents, and the step from 2 to 3 bedrooms is where the pricing curve steepens most.

Bedroom Count in Greater Los AngelesMedian Rent (May 2026)
Studio$1,792
1-Bedroom$2,173
2-Bedroom$3,012
3-Bedroom$4,455
4-Bedroom$5,875
Source: Doorstead market data, aggregated from public records and online rental listings across all property types, Los Angeles Metro, May 2026.

Rent by Property Type in Greater Los Angeles

Single-family homes in Greater Los Angeles median out at $3,587 per month, a $796 (28.5%) premium over the blended metro median of $2,791. Townhouses run close behind at $3,571, while condos sit in the middle at $3,045, leaving apartments as the only type below the metro median at $2,371. The speed gap is just as telling: single-family and condo rentals lease in roughly 51–53 days, townhouses in 54, but apartments sit at 100 days, double the blended metro DOM of 70. If you own a single-family home or townhouse, the data supports pricing at a meaningful premium and expecting a faster lease-up than the broader market average.

Property Type in Greater Los AngelesMedian RentAvg. Days on MarketMoM Change
All Property Types (Blended)$2,79170 days-0.4%
Single Family$3,58751 days+4.4%
Condo$3,04553 days+3.0%
Townhouse$3,57154 days-1.9%
Apartment$2,371100 days-0.5%
Source: Doorstead market data, aggregated from public records and online rental listings, Los Angeles Metro, May 2026.

How Pricing Affects Leasing Speed in Greater Los Angeles (May 2026)

The table below shows how listing strategy affects time-to-lease for Greater Los Angeles rental homes, based on Doorstead-managed properties leased May 2025 to May 2026.

Pricing ScenarioTypical List PriceAvg. Days to LeaseEst. Excess Vacancy Cost
Los Angeles Metro rentals priced within 5% of market$3,50630 days$1,964
Los Angeles Metro rentals priced 5–10% above market$3,46135 days$1,989
Los Angeles Metro rentals priced 10%+ above market$3,42862 days$3,805

Source: Doorstead platform data, Los Angeles Metro rentals across all managed property types, May 2025 to May 2026. Excess vacancy cost = daily rent × days beyond the 21-day benchmark.


Los Angeles Metro Rental Pricing Benchmarks — May 2026

Based on Doorstead data, including properties in our Los Angeles Metro portfolio, homes priced more than 10% above market take an average of 62 days to lease and rack up $3,805 in excess vacancy costs. That's more than double the 30 days and $1,964 in lost rent you'd see by pricing within 5% of market. The gap between those two tiers is 32 days and nearly $1,841 in avoidable losses per vacancy. Even a modest overprice of 5–10% adds about five days and $25 in excess costs compared to accurate pricing, which sounds minor until you're the one covering a mortgage on a sitting unit. With the Los Angeles metro averaging 70 days on market across all property types, landlords who start close to market rate are already beating the average by 40 days. The math is straightforward: chasing a slightly higher rent almost always costs more than it earns.

Based on Doorstead-managed rental homes across Greater Los Angeles, May 2025 to May 2026. These benchmarks reflect actual lease outcomes, not broader listing activity.


Data Sources & Methodology

  • Rental market data: Median rents, days on market, listing counts, and rent change figures. Sourced from county public records, deed and tax assessor data, and rental listings on publicly accessible platforms.
  • Doorstead Platform Data: Internal leasing outcomes from Doorstead-managed rental homes across all property types — days to lease, pricing tier benchmarks. Trailing 12 months.

Data refreshed monthly. Doorstead benchmarks reflect managed properties only and may not be representative of the broader Los Angeles Metro rental market.

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FAQ

What is the average rent in Greater Los Angeles right now?

The Greater Los Angeles blended median rent is $2,791 across all property types, down 13.36% year over year.

How long does it take to rent a home in Greater Los Angeles?

Across all property types, the average home in the Greater Los Angeles is sitting on market for 70 days before leasing. That's a meaningful stretch, and it tells you pricing and presentation need to be sharp from day one. Overpricing by even $100–$200 a month can cost you weeks of vacancy.

Is Greater Los Angeles a good rental market for landlords right now?

Conditions are soft. Rents are down 13.36% year over year and the average time to lease is 70 days, which means landlords are competing harder for a smaller pool of qualified tenants. That said, the single-family segment is outperforming the broader market, with faster lease-up times and higher rents than the blended average. If you own a well-located house, you're in a better spot than the metro-wide numbers suggest.

What is the average rent for a single-family home in Greater Los Angeles?

Single-family homes in the Greater Los Angeles are renting at a median of $3,587 across all bedroom counts. Three-bedroom homes specifically are coming in at $4,455 per month, which reflects the premium tenants pay for more space in this market.

How quickly are single-family rental homes leasing in Greater Los Angeles?

Single-family rentals are leasing in 51 days on average in the Greater Los Angeles, roughly three weeks faster than the blended market. That gap shows SFR demand is holding up better than the broader rental pool, but 51 days still isn't fast, so competitive pricing matters.

Which Greater Los Angeles suburbs have the best single-family rental demand right now?

Santa Clarita and Pomona are leading the Los Angeles Metro on leasing speed, with homes renting in 48 and 51 days respectively. Pasadena is the softest submarket right now, with an average of 91 days on market, nearly double Santa Clarita's pace. If you own in the slower submarkets, tightening your asking rent to current comps is the fastest lever you have, and you can get a free rent estimate from Doorstead to benchmark against what similar homes are actually leasing for.

Should I rent out my Greater Los Angeles home or sell it?

Selling today converts your paper appreciation into cash now, while renting compounds three returns over time: monthly cash flow, home-price appreciation while you hold the asset, and rent growth as the market recovers. Right now, the Greater Los Angeles blended median rent is $2,791 and rents are down 13.36% year over year, so the near-term rent-growth tailwind is weak, though long-term holders have historically recaptured softness like this. The math is highly property-specific because your mortgage rate, original purchase price, and tax situation will drive the outcome far more than any metro-wide median. To project the full return on renting your Los Angeles Metro home, including cash flow, appreciation, rent growth, and 10-year equity before and after taxes, try Doorstead's rental investment calculator.

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