The rental market in Queens was among the most competitive across the United States in the summer of 2025, during the peak rental season, according to a report by RentCafe.
Rental markets in the cities included in the study were calculated and ranked based on a Rental Competitive Index (RCI), which was determined based on the number of days apartments were vacant, the percentage of apartments that were occupied by renters, the number of prospective renters competing for an apartment, the percentage of renters who renewed their leases and the share of new recently completed apartments.
Queens had the 32nd-highest RCI score among the cities in the study, at 74.7, up from 71.5 last year. Apartments in the borough were vacant for an average of 44 days, which represents a decrease from 51 days in 2024. Renters occupied approximately 94.9% of apartments, a jump from 93.1% in 2024. The number of prospective renters competing for each apartment rose from 9 in 2024 to 12 in 2025. Around 61.4% of renters in Queens renewed their leases in 2025, compared to 68.2% in 2024. There was no share of newly completed apartments both last year and this year.
These trends indicate that while units filled faster this year compared to last summer, more and more prospective renters are searching for better deals on apartments in the borough.
The national RCI score was 74.6 in the summer of 2025. Nine people competed for a vacant apartment during this time, matching the number from summer 2024. The average number of days that rentals were vacant remained mostly static over this period of time, going up from 39 last year to 40 this year. The percentage of renters who renewed their leases climbed from 62% in 2024 to 62.7% in 2025. At the same time, the percentage of apartments that were occupied shrank from 93.7% last year to 93.4% this year. After 0.71% of the available apartments were completed last year, another 0.84% of these units were completed this year.
Brooklyn and Manhattan ranked among the top ten RCI scores, with Brooklyn seventh at 82.4, up from 82 last year, and Manhattan fourth at 85.1, up from 82.2 last year.
Apartments in Brooklyn were vacant on average for 36 days in the summer of 2025, down from 40 in 2024. Occupied apartments decreased from 96.3% last year to 95.9% this year. Prospective renters competing for each unit also went down during this period, from 14 to 13. The lease renewal rate dropped from 69.5% last year to 66.6% this year. Around 0.81% of the available apartments were completed in 2025, compared to 0.75% in 2024.
In Manhattan, the average number of days for an apartment’s vacancy fell from 37 in summer 2024 to 33 in summer 2025. About 96.2% of apartments in this borough were occupied this year, up from 95.4% last year. Each apartment had 12 prospective renters competing for it in 2025, representing an increase from 9 in 2024. The lease renewal rate decreased from 65.8% last year to 65.1% this year. Meanwhile, the share of available new apartments nearly quadrupled, having risen from 0.05% in summer 2024 to 0.19% in summer 2025.
The most competitive rental market during the peak summer season of 2025 was Miami, Florida, with an RCI score of 92.2. Apartments were vacant for 32 days on average. An estimated 96.5% of apartments were occupied. Thanks to such a high occupation rate, there were 19 people on average competing for each available unit. The lease renewal rate was 71.8%. Approximately 1.18% of the available units were built in 2025.
