Rental owners entered 2026 cautiously optimistic. Six months later, RentRedi’s Q3 2026 State of Rental Investing Sentiment Survey shows that landlords are growing more selective in their spending and smarter in their operational habits in order to maximize their cash flow.
Key Takeaways
- Big-ticket renovation spending has fallen sharply since a year ago. Purchase plans have cooled since January but remain stronger than they were at this time last year.
- Rent increases are holding at the same modest pace rental owners set at the start of the year, even as insurance and property tax costs continue to climb.
- The results point to a more selective approach to rental investing, with owners continuing to pursue growth while putting greater focus on the performance of the properties they already own.
Full graphics accompanying each question below break down the numbers in detail.
Property Purchase Plans
Fifty-nine percent of rental owners plan to buy at least one property in the next 12 months, down from 68% in January but up from 53% one year ago in July 2025. Most of that activity is concentrated in smaller-scale buying: 44% plan to purchase one or two properties, while only about 15% plan to acquire three or more.
Property Sale Plans
Seventy-five percent of rental owners plan to sell nothing in the next 12 months, down slightly from 79% in January. A smaller but still meaningful share, 21%, plan to sell one or two properties.
Property Improvement Spending
This is the sharpest shift in the survey. Only 12% of rental owners plan to spend $20,000 or more per unit on improvements in the next year, down from 35% a year ago. Spending has shifted toward more modest, targeted upgrades: 36% plan to spend between $1,500 and $4,999 per unit, and 32% plan under $1,500.
Rent Increase Plans
Rental owners are holding the same conservative approach to rent they set at the start of the year. Forty-five percent plan increases of just 1-3%, nearly identical to January’s 47%, and 30% don’t plan to raise rent at all. Only 4% plan increases of 7% or more, and 2% plan to reduce rent.
Rental Demand
Seventy-two percent of rental owners describe current demand as somewhat or very strong, down modestly from 77% in January but still representing close to three out of four respondents.
Market Conditions Over the Past Year
Half of rental owners (50%) say conditions have stayed about the same over the past 12 months. Twenty-four percent report some degree of improvement, and 26% report some degree of decline. This is a new question for this survey, so no year-over-year comparison is available.
Turnover Trends
Fifty-nine percent of rental owners report turnover in 2026 has stayed about the same as 2025. Slightly more report a decrease (24% combined) than an increase (15% combined). This is a new question for this survey, so no year-over-year comparison is available.
Economic Impact on the Business and What’s Driving the Pressure
Thirty-six percent of rental owners report the current economic environment is having no effect on their business, while 38% describe a slightly negative effect and 18% a negative effect. Among rental owners reporting a negative impact, insurance costs (20%), rising materials and labor costs (19%), and property taxes (18%) rank as the top three factors. Late or missed rent payments rank lowest on the list at 12%, consistent with separate Chandan Economics data showing on-time rent payments actually improved slightly year-over-year in June 2026, the first such gain since early 2023.
Methodology
The State of Rental Investing in America survey was conducted by RentRedi from June 2 to July 6, 2026 and includes responses from 428 independent rental owners across the United States to capture sentiment, behavior, and expectations for the year ahead. Percentages have been rounded to the nearest whole number, and therefore the values in each barchart may not equal 100%. The findings are intended to help landlords benchmark their strategies and make more informed decisions about their rental businesses.
For more insights and tools to help rental owners operate more efficiently and improve their rental cash flow, visit www.rentredi.com.