As difficult as it is to buy a house, with high interest rates and high home prices, it’s equally difficult to rent an apartment in many U.S. cities.
The competitive housing market, overall, has encouraged more renters to stay where they are. Nearly 64% of renters renewed their leases at the beginning of 2025, while the number of available apartments through new building projects only increased marginally, from 0.61% to 0.72%, according to a report from RentCafe.
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The apartment rental website analyzed data to calculate the national Rental Competitiveness Index (RCI) for 2025. The nationwide RCI is 74.6 out of 100, indicating it’s relatively difficult to find an apartment. The RCI takes into account:
- Renters competing for a vacant apartment
- Average number of days rentals were vacant
- % of apartments that are newly constructed
- % of renters who renewed their leases
Read on to see which U.S. cities makes it very difficult to snag an apartment.
Regions With the Hottest Rental Market
When it comes to hot rental markets, Florida sits in a category by itself, with an RCI of 80.9, compared to 72.9 for the rest of the southeast. Not far behind, with an RCI of 79.4, is the Northeast region, encompassing cities like New York, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and New Haven, Connecticut.
The Midwest jumped to third place, with an RCI of 77, and three major cities landing on RentCafe’s top 10 list of places where it’s hardest to rent an apartment.
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Miami
With an RCI of 96.7, Miami is the hardest place in the U.S. to rent an apartment. Tech millionaires and finance professionals flocked to the beachfront city during the pandemic to take advantage of work-from-home mandates. Based on Miami’s lease renewal rate close to 75%, it seems many never left. There are 21 renters competing for every apartment that opens up, and a new building rate of only 0.40%, leaving a total occupancy rate of 96.6%.
Suburban Chicago, Illinois
Renters seeking a more laidback lifestyle and lower cost of living are, increasingly, considering Chicago. Suburban areas like Aurora and Joliet offer more cost savings than the city, but, with an RTI of 85.1 and occupancy of 95.6%, it’s harder than ever to find an apartment.
Broward County, Florida
Just north of Miami, Broward County, Florida, is also a hot rental region with an RTI of 85%. Retirees, young professionals and families seek the warm weather and white-sand beaches of cities like Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood.
RentCafe attributes the high lease renewal rate of 70% to the equally hot housing market which makes it harder for younger generations to buy a home in southeast Florida.
Eastern Los Angeles County, California
The southern California wildfires that devastated so many families and destroyed homes earlier this year has also squeezed the region’s rental market.
There are 18 people for every available apartment in eastern L.A., and a high lease renewal rate of 57.8%. New building construction has also slowed, likely as a result of the wildfires, so the total apartment supply has grown by just 0.3%, according to RentCafe data.
Suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Job opportunities and a strong economy in areas like King of Prussia and Bryn Mawr are attracting families and professionals to suburban Philadelphia. But the apartment supply only grew by 0.10% this year, while lease renewals rose from 76.3% to 78%.
Manhattan, New York
Renowned for its high cost of living and pricey real estate, it’s not surprising that New York City — specifically, Manhattan — tied for 5th place as the most difficult city to rent an apartment. With an RTI of 81.7, and a vacancy rate just over 4%, the city remains in high demand as a northeast hub of urban life and commerce.
Chicago
Although the outskirts of Chicago ranked second most difficult to find an apartment, it’s not much easier to rent in the city. With an RTI just slightly below NYC, at 81.1, and a vacancy rate of 5%, there are 13 prospective renters seeking out every Chicago apartment.
Lansing-Ann Arbor, Michigan
As the Midwest grows in popularity for renters, Lansing-Ann Arbor, Michigan, trails Chicago and its suburbs as the third most competitive Midwest city for renters, coming in 8th overall in the U.S. with an RCI of 80.6. The least renewal rate is close to 70%, leaving nine prospective renters for every apartment opening.
Bridgeport-New Haven, Connecticut
Solidifying the northeast as a “rental hotbed,” according to RentCafe, the waterfront communities of Bridgeport and New Haven, Connecticut, are in high demand, with an RTI of 80.6 and an occupancy rate of 94.7%. There are 12 renters seeking each apartment and a very low new construction rate of 0.05%, which isn’t keeping pace with the cities’ needs.
Brooklyn, NY
Tied with Bridgeport-New Haven for 8th place is Brooklyn, New York. This borough has been a sought-after alternative to Manhattan for years, thanks to its close proximity to Manhattan and slightly lower cost of living. The percentage of new buildings is close to the national average, at 0.61%, but it’s not enough to keep up with demand.
Tips To Find Your Dream Apartment
It’s difficult to find an apartment to rent, but it’s not impossible. Before you begin your search, run your credit report and check your credit score to put yourself in the best position for approval and make sure you appear to be a reliable tenant. Reference letters from past landlords can’t hurt, either.
Check multiple rental websites and leverage the power of your network by spreading the word that you’re apartment hunting. Word-of-mouth can be your best resource, especially since the best apartments often don’t make it to the rental platforms and are only advertised in local Facebook groups or by lawn signs in front of the apartment, according to Redfin.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Top 10 US Cities Where It’s Hardest To Get an Apartment
