Today Douglas Elliman published the Manhattan/Brooklyn rental report that I author. This monthly report is part of an evolving market report series I’ve been writing for Douglas Elliman since 1994 (20 years!). We discontinued the quarterly rental report series but still present the information in our aggregate database.

MANHATTAN
– Median rental price increased to the highest level in more than 5 years.
– After softening in late 2013 with intensive competition from the sales market, median rental prices have trended higher since the beginning of 2014.
– Although the market share of landlord concessions edged higher over the year ago level last year, they have fallen sharply from 13.1% in January.
– Vacancy rate slipped nominally from same period last year, hovering near multi-year lows.
– New rental activity fell reflecting the increased likelihood that tenants would renew their leases as a result of limited alternatives to increased affordability.

BROOKLYN[North, Northwest Regions] – Median rental price increased from the same period last year but has showed some stability since the beginning of the year.
– 2 and 3-bed apartments showed weaker price trends with the addition of new rental housing stock and intense competition from the purchase market.
– There was a sharp drop in new rentals from the same month a year ago as more tenants were resigned to sign their leases at time of renewal.
– Although marketing times expanded slightly, negotiability dropped sharply reflecting the ongoing tight market conditions.

Here’s an excerpt from the report:

MANHATTAN For the third
consecutive month, median rental price
increased above the prior year level.
Median rental price was $3,300, 3.1%
above the same period last year and the
highest level reached since early 2009.
After weakening in the second half of 2013
from intensive competition from the sales
market, median rental prices have generally
trended higher since the beginning of the
year. The remaining rental price indicators
were mixed. Average rental price slipped
1.2% to $3,902 and average rental price
per square foot increased 7.1% respectively
from the same month last year…

BROOKLYN Median rental price increased 8.6% to
$2,800 from the same month last year,
yet remained essentially unchanged from
the prior month. Since the beginning of
the year, median rental price has showed
some stability on a month-over-month
basis…

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The Elliman Report: 5-2014 Manhattan/Brooklyn Rentals [Miller Samuel] The Elliman Report: 5-2014 Manhattan/Brooklyn Rentals [Douglas Elliman] Miller Samuel Aggregate Database [Miller Samuel] Chart Gallery (Brooklyn Monthly) [Miller Samuel] Chart Gallery (Manhattan Monthly) [Miller Samuel] Chart Gallery (Manhattan Quarterly) [Miller Samuel]