Looking Into Local Rental Housing

With the new school year starting in late August, property owners are getting ready to put their rental units on the market to serve college students and others who need a room rental or an apartment.

It’s typical for property owners to hear complaints from potential renters who don’t know if they can cover their expenses, with rent having reached much higher levels than a decade ago. But these owners – who might have an extra bedroom for rent, or they’ve added accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in their backyard and garage, and property managers who operate several apartment buildings throughout Long Beach – tend to be very pleased with seeing renters contacting them to come visit their rental units and start the application process.

Will that continue into the fall?

Beach Front Property Management, Inc., is expecting Long Beach and the greater Los Angeles area to see moderate rental growth to continue but at a slower pace than in 2021-22. That’s when the post-pandemic surge occurred, which was followed by a return-to-normal phase in the marketplace.

The Long Beach-based property management company sees Long Beach as being distinct in the rental market. Renter demand is being driven by the coastal lifestyle and proximity to job centers; transit connectivity; and relative affordability versus many core Los Angeles neighborhoods. As for 2026, the property management company expects rents to go up moderately due to demand, expense control, and regulatory factors.

Concessions on reducing rental rates remain a real factor this year to keep utilization strong — particularly in new construction and higher-priced rental properties – according to multifamily trend research focused on 2026 leasing conditions. Beach Front Property Management also points to rising operating expenses making concessions more common this year. Expense increases for property managers are coming through increases in insurance premiums, labor and vendor costs, and utilities, and regulatory compliance costs.

The property management company points to a California law – AB 1482 – being a factor. This state law caps rent increases at 5% plus consumer price index (CPI), up to 10% depending on the applicable CPI window and eligibility that the rental property may have for the state program.

AB 1482, signed by Gov. Gavi Newsom in October 2019, took effect January 1, 2020. It caps rent increases statewide for the next four years up to the 10% mark. In addition, AB 1482 prevents evictions without “just cause” for tenants that have lived in the unit for at least one year. The bill impacts apartments and multifamily buildings containing two or more units, but exempts single-family residences, owner-occupied duplexes, and condominiums, except when owned by corporations or LLCs in which at least one member is a corporation, according to the City of Long Beach.

The City of Long Beach reports that the housing stock totals 181,477 units, and that 99,761 are renter-occupied units. Over 5,000 new housing multifamily units/entitlements had been approved by the city to expand the inventory as of the end of 2025.

The city has maintained or built nearly 3,700 designated affordable or low-income units in recent years, with specific property listings managed through the ⁠Long Beach Development Services directory, according to the city. Long Beach Housing Authority authorizes rental rates that are appropriate for a neighborhood. LBHA provides support and rental assistance to individuals and families in need.

The City of Long Beach just introduced a new program designed to assist older residents in making rent payments. The Older Adult Shallow Subsidy program now offers limited rental subsidies of $400 to $500 a month. It’s available to households that have at least one older adult, defined as 62 or older, or age 55 or older with a disability.

How does LBC compare?

According to Zillow Rentals data, the average price for a rental unit in Long Beach is $2,128, a $28 year-over-year increase. There are currently about 2,400 available rentals in the city, according to Zillow.

How does that stack up to nearby communities? Seal Beach is averaging $3,250, Huntington Beach $3,060, Carson is at $2,100, Torrance comes in at $2,700, Westminster is at $2,771, and Anaheim is seeing $2,495 as its rental unit average price, according to Zillow Rentals data.

Of course, these rental prices will vary based on the neighborhood. Rental units in downtown Long Beach cost an average of about $2,345 to $2,480 per month. Prices typically range from $1,500 for a studio up to $3,500-plus for larger multi-bedroom apartments, according to a real estate study.

The downtown Long Beach residential market continues to increase construction of new inventory, adding 271 new rental units in 2025. The higher rate of deliveries is expected to slow down through 2026 with several projects completed in 2025 or in planning stages, according to Downtown Long Beach Alliance’s Data Dashboard.

At 94.7%, downtown rental occupancy has continued to rebound from the record low of 92% in 2023 – due to a slowing growth rate of deliveries combined with a stable leasing rate.

“As pre-leasing efforts continue, the vacancy rate of new, unoccupied units should continue to decline. Overall, with nearly 12,000 market and affordable-rate units available, a high rate of demand, and minimal rent increases year-over-year, the health of the residential economy appears strong,” according to Data Dashboard.

Jon LeSage is a resident of Long Beach and a veteran business media reporter and editor. You can reach him at jtlesage1@yahoo.com.