A recent news release from Rent Cafe shows after study the Inland Empire is now California’s fastest-rising competitive rental market, meaning it has become significantly more challenging for renters to find an apartment at the start of 2025 over the span of just one year.Rent Cafe’s Rental Competitiveness Index (RCI) score surged 9.3 points from early 2024, to 75.5 — the biggest jump among the state, driven mainly by higher lease renewal rates and a slowdown in new apartment construction.Here’s what’s fueling the competition, according to Rent Cafe:More renters staying put: 54.9% of tenants renewed their leases, up from 50.8% in early 2024.Limited new supply: Only 0.63% more apartments were added, a slight increase from 0.41% last year.Stronger dema
