Houston single-family rental leases rise 6.2% in 2025, HAR reports

According to the Houston Association of Realtors’ December/Full-Year 2025 Rental Market Update, Greater Houston recorded 47,292 single-family rental leases in 2025, up from 44,551 in 2024, a 6.2% year-over-year increase. The full-year dollar volume for single-family rentals climbed nearly 7% to $110.2 million, signaling steady leasing activity even as inventory expands.

The year closed with a sharp December gain: single-family rental leases totaled 3,283 in December 2025 versus 3,002 in December 2024, a 9.4% year-over-year rise. Monthly snapshots show a market with both rising supply and sustained demand. HampsonProperties, citing HAR’s June update, reported 4,590 single-family homes leased in June 2025, a 5.2% increase from June 2024, while 7,117 new single-family rental listings hit the market in June, the highest monthly total on record.

Average rent readings varied by month. In June 2025 the typical single-family rent nudged up 1.0% to $2,400 per month, while October’s average lease price was reported at $2,262, the lowest since February when the typical monthly rent was $2,243. Leasing speed also shifted: HampsonProperties reported a June days-on-market figure of about 35 days, up slightly from 32, while HAR’s broader snapshot showed the typical single-family rental stayed on the market for 39 days, three days longer than October 2024. Those figures reflect different month-specific measures within HAR’s reporting.

Supply growth has been driven in part by build-to-rent communities. HampsonProperties notes Greater Houston now ranks fifth in the U.S. for build-to-rent homes under construction, with more than 4,600 single-family rental units coming online, a pipeline that would represent a nearly 55% inventory boost once occupied. Local examples include The Landing at Morton Ranch in Katy, a 156-home detached community north of Clay Road near the Grand Parkway, and the Tricon Peek Road development in Katy, a 22-acre project slated for about 175 detached rental homes.

Market observers said the combination of record-high inventory, steady pricing and persistent demand paints a healthy picture for Houston’s rental sector. HAR Chair Shae Cottar said, “We’re seeing record-high inventory, steady pricing and strong demand, which are all signs of a healthy rental market in Houston.” Cottar added, “With many economists expecting mortgage rates to improve next year, we may see more renters transition into homeownership.”

For Harris County residents that mix means more choices in the suburbs and central areas alike: larger single-family rentals with yards and garages are increasingly available through professionally managed build-to-rent communities, while overall pricing has stayed relatively stable through 2025. The story now moves to 2026, where completion of the BTR pipeline and any shifts in mortgage rates will determine whether renters remain in place or begin transitioning to homeownership.