Insights / Cleveland

TightHeatingLandlord's market

Cleveland multifamily market, October 2026

Landlords have the edge in Cleveland, and it is heating: asking rents are up 4.0% on a year, while jobs grew 0.2%.

Updated October 31, 2026 · from Zillow, BLS and the US Census Bureau

+4.0%
Asking rent, year over year
Zillow · September 2026
+0.2%
Jobs, year over year
BLS · September 2026, preliminary
6.3%YEARLY
Vacancy
Census · 2024 count

What is moving now

Asking rents are up 4.0% on a year to September 2026, which is the figure the condition is read from. Jobs are up 0.2% over the same year to September 2026, a first release the BLS revises the following month. Asking rents are climbing (September 2026).

The backdrop

These are yearly Census counts, not this month's: 6.3% of rentals sat empty in 2024, permits for new apartments were up 13% in 2025, more people moved out than in in 2025, and the typical rent was $1,087 a month in 2024. They are the background the monthly figures move against, and they are the newest the Census has published.

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Common questions about Cleveland

Answered from the data, updated October 31, 2026

Is the Cleveland rental market tight or soft right now?

In Cleveland right now, landlords have the edge, and it is heating.

Which way is the Cleveland market heading?

Cleveland is heating right now, as asking rents firm over the past year (Zillow ZORI, monthly).

Is Cleveland a landlord's or a renter's market?

Cleveland is a landlord's market right now: landlords have the edge, and it is heating.

What is the vacancy rate in Cleveland?

Vacancy in Cleveland is 6.3% in the 2024 count, a yearly snapshot rather than a monthly reading (US Census Bureau).

How much have Cleveland rents changed?

Asking rents in Cleveland are up 4.0% over the past year (Zillow ZORI, monthly, latest Sep 2026).

Recent coverage

Daily, from the MetroSgnl news feed. Headlines only.

See Cuyahoga County home sales, other property transfer details for September (searchable database)Cleveland.com business
What 556 CMHA vouchers in the housing-search stage mean for recipientsCleveland.com
Maple Heights is getting its first new apartments in decadesCrain's Cleveland Business
Why ‘affordable housing’ can mean different things for Cleveland rentersCleveland.com
Cleveland Affordable Housing: Parkside vs. Walton RentsHoodline
City of Cleveland Announces Housing Innovation DistrictCity of Cleveland Ohio (.gov)
See all Cleveland news →

Data: Zillow ZORI, BLS, US Census Bureau, FRED, and the MetroSgnl news feed. Recomputed daily. Market information only, not investment advice.

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