It’s a swell summer for bargain-hunting renters in Southern California.
My trusty spreadsheet analyzed July rent data from the industry tracker Zumper. This math follows the median asking prices for new rental listings in 41 Southern California cities for one- and two-bedroom units in both apartment complexes and rental homes.
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The calculations show local landlords increased the median listing rent for both rental sizes in only nine of those cities. That’s just 22% of the markets studied by Zumper.
For most Southern California renters, few price hikes have been seen this year. Why?
Numerous landlords are facing increased competition to fill vacant units thanks to a modest burst in new construction, which is giving renters more options. Plus, demand may be weak as a shaky economy convinces some folks not to seek their own place.
Where rents rise
Several of these rent-hike cities are home to major colleges. So, demand may be increasing as the school year approaches.
In these spots, the average one-bedroom now lists for $2,000 a month, up 3% from last year. Two-bedrooms are at $2,700, a 4% jump over July 2025.
Southern California’s largest one-year price hikes for one-bedroom units were found in San Marcos, up 10% to $2,430; Encinitas, up 6% to $2,950; Oceanside, up 3% to $2,290; Orange, up 3% to $2,380; and Riverside, up 3% to $1,800.
As for two-bedroom hikes, the biggest were in San Bernardino, up 8% to $2,000; Corona, up 8% to $2,590; San Marcos, up 7% to $2,990; Irvine, up 4% to $3,950; and Oceanside, up 4% to $2,850.
Where price drops dominate
If you’re bargain hunting, here’s the twist: Rent drops showed up more often in Southern California’s pricier neighborhoods.
In 32 cities, landlords either trimmed their asking prices for one or both rental sizes. One-bedrooms in this group averaged $2,200 in monthly rent, down 2% from last year. Two-bedrooms are asking $3,000, a dip of half a percent.
Some of the steepest discounts appeared in cities near last year’s wildfires. Most price hikes that followed the disaster are fading.
For one-bedroom units: Lancaster is off 12% to $1,560; Redondo Beach, off 7% to $2,500; Coronado, off 7% to $4,200; West Hollywood, off 6% to $2,620; and Pasadena is down 6% to $2,290.
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For two-bedroom units: Oxnard, off 10% to $2,770; Los Angeles, off 7% to $2,970; Glendale, off 7% to $2,710; Burbank, off 7% to $2,870; and West Hollywood, off 6% to $4,100.
Making deals
Roughly one-third of Southern California landlords are trying to fill their rental units by using special deals this summer.
Look at Zillow’s July rent report, which shows how many rental listings on its site come with concessions — discounts used to attract new tenants — ranging from free months of rent to breaks on fees, parking or utility costs.
Zillow’s pricing stats for 50 U.S. metropolitan areas are based on indexes that track what landlords hope to get for all rental types and sizes. Its affordability measure also compares rents with local median household incomes.
In Los Angeles and Orange counties, 31% of rentals came with some kind of discount, ranking 32nd out of 50 big metro areas. Even with those deals, rents still climbed 1.5% over the past year, the 29th-biggest jump in the nation.
Still, it’s not exactly cheap. Zillow pegs the typical rent in L.A. and Orange counties at $2,944 per month, the sixth-highest in the country. That price eats up 34% of local incomes, the third-highest share nationwide.
In the Inland Empire, 30% of landlords are offering discounts, ranking it 34th out of 50. Rents there jumped 2.5% in a year, the 21st biggest increase. Typical rents at $2,547 a month — eighth-highest in the U.S. — would eat up 31% of incomes, the fourth-highest share.
Now, San Diego County landlords are a bit more generous, with 38% offering discounts. That’s 27th out of the 50 metros.
Rents in San Diego rose 1.8% over the year, the 26th biggest jump. At $3,008 a month, this metro is the nation’s fifth most expensive place to rent. That cost eats up 31% of local incomes, the fifth-worst affordability.
Across the country, landlords are even more likely to offer a deal, with 40% of U.S. listings offering concessions. Still, rents rose 2.3% over the year to $1,962 a month. That’s only 27% of U.S. incomes.
Jonathan Lansner is the business columnist for the Southern California News Group. He can be reached at [email protected]
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