Recent Los Angeles multifamily rent trends are beginning to reflect a market that looks materially different than it did eighteen months ago. In December 2025, median rents across Los Angeles County declined to their lowest level since early 2022, signaling that supply growth and shifting demand are starting to register in the data.

According to Apartment List, median rents in the Los Angeles metro area fell to $2,167 in December, while LA County’s median rent declined to $2,035. The last time countywide rents were at this level was January 2022.

What Is Driving Current Los Angeles Multifamily Rent Trends

The primary driver appears to be a straightforward supply and demand imbalance. In 2025, approximately 15,095 multifamily units were delivered across Los Angeles, representing an 18% year-over-year increase and the second-highest annual delivery total of the past decade, based on CoStar data. During the same period, LA County’s population declined by roughly 28,000 residents.

As new supply entered the market and demand softened, vacancy rates increased to 5.3% in December, the highest level recorded since April 2021. These conditions have begun to affect leasing velocity and pricing power, particularly for older assets competing directly with newly delivered product.

Anthony Luna, chief executive of Coastline Equity, noted that rental demand softened toward the end of 2025 and has yet to meaningfully rebound. Units that previously leased within three to five days are now taking several weeks to secure tenants. As a result, concessions such as free rent periods and limited-time incentives are becoming more common across certain submarkets.

How Owners Are Adjusting Rent Strategies

Luna’s firm manages approximately 750 units across Los Angeles. In a typical year, his clients implement rent increases of 3% to 4% on rent-controlled units and 4% to 6% on non-rent-controlled units. In the current environment, he is advising owners to cap increases closer to 1%, and in some cases to hold rents flat, in order to mitigate vacancy risk and preserve occupancy.

Tenant behavior is beginning to reflect these Los Angeles multifamily rent trends. In East Los Angeles, a renter expecting an increase from $2,000 instead received a renewal offer at $1,950. In North Hollywood, a tenant paying $2,700 for a 2-bed successfully negotiated a reduction to $2,500 after citing lower-priced vacancies within the same building.

Rent Trends Vary Significantly by Submarket

While countywide data points to softening, the Los Angeles rental market is not moving in lockstep. Rents continue to push higher in submarkets such as Silver Lake, Los Feliz, West Hollywood, Santa Monica, and Culver City. In contrast, areas including portions of the San Fernando Valley are experiencing greater pricing flexibility, particularly among smaller, locally owned buildings.

This divergence highlights the importance of evaluating Los Angeles multifamily rent trends at the submarket level rather than relying solely on aggregate countywide metrics.

What These Los Angeles Multifamily Rent Trends Suggest Going Forward

For owners, the takeaway is not alarm but adjustment. Rent increases that felt routine in prior years may no longer be supported in many submarkets. Vacancy risk has increased, lease-up timelines have extended, and pricing strategies now require greater precision and local context.

The shift is real, but it remains uneven. Owners who recognize these trends early and respond with asset-specific strategies will be better positioned than those who wait for broader market data to become unavoidable.