"Republicans want lower property taxes and less regulation.  Democrats emphasize funding affordable housing development programs and renter rights.  Both want to incentivize developers to build cheaper options."

AANW and FVAA members were introduced in 2024 to the “State of the Industry” presentation series, which explored housing affordability challenges from the perspectives of rental property owners, managers, and residents.  We also hosted a “Meet the Candidates” event last year in September to hear candidates’ positions on rental housing and the affordability challenges we all face.

Earlier this year, that body of work was re-branded and formed the foundation for much of the original content used in the Attendee and Legislator folders that were part of the Rental Housing Coalition (RHC) Capitol Day in March.  As founding members of the RHC, we recognize the need to work collaboratively with the many rental housing associations across the state.

As we slowly turn our attention to the 2026 Mid-Term Elections, we have been discussing the many different policy debates that will be shaped over the months leading to these elections. 

This article by Wisconsin Watch lays out some of this as we look towards navigating, in some cases familiar waters, but yet in many other cases uncharted territory.  Click on the link below to be taken to this article:

Wisconsin Faces a Housing Affordability Crisis...

Please look for other blog posts and email communications about the advocacy work being done at the Federal level, and of course the State/Local levels as it relates to Koble and other housing related policy discussions.

Posted on behalf of:

Rick Van Der Leest

President
Apartment Association of Northeast Wisconsin, Inc.
Fox Valley Apartment Association, Inc.

July 15th, 2025

Rentometer has published its latest Single-Family Rentals Report, covering the first six months of the year and highlighting rent prices and trends across the U.S.

The report focuses on median rents for 3-bedroom single-family homes in over 1,100 cities nationwide. Single-family home rentals house 41% of the U.S. renter population, and three-bedroom single-family homes are a preferred option for many families and investors.

As of this release, Rentometer has updated its methodology to report median values rather than averages, offering a better snapshot of the market. Our data set includes over 10 million new rental records annually, based on advertised asking rents, which serve as the foundation for our market reports.

Key Takeaways

• Rent Growth Picks Up Again But Remains Below the Inflation Rate and Average Wage Growth: Median single-family rents rose to $2,135, an increase of $36 or 1.7% compared to the same period last year.
• Midwest and Northeast Rents Grew the Fastest: Rents in the Midwest increased the most (+6.1%), followed by the Northeast (+4.6%) and the Pacific region (+3.1%). Median rents in the Rocky Mountain region rose by 1.1%, while rents in the Southwest remained flat.
• Vacancies Hit Record Highs: Vacancy rates for single-family homes continued their upward trend in 2025, reaching 6.3% in the first quarter, the highest level since 2016.
• Boston, MA saw the highest annual rent growth among large cities, with 3-bedroom single-family rents averaging $4,500—up 12.5% year-over-year. The increase was partly due to larger homes listed and a low rental inventory, making the data more sensitive to fluctuations. Staten Island, NY (+9.4%) and Long Beach, CA (+9.0%) followed.
• Several large U.S. cities saw rents decline. Fort Wayne, IN recorded the largest year-over-year drop among cities with populations of 250,000 or more, with rents down 6.4%, followed by Dallas, TX (-6.3%) and Santa Ana, CA (-5.0%).
• Income Needed to Rent a 3-Bedroom Single-Family Home Tops $200,000 in Some Coastal Markets: Single-family rents have risen 39.5% over the past five years, compared to a 23% increase in median household income. As a result, the income needed to rent a typical SFR has surged—reaching nearly $200,000 in high-cost coastal markets like San Francisco.

Midwest Leads Rent Growth Rebound, But National Gains Still Trail Inflation

In the first half of 2025, median asking rents for single-family homes rose 1.7% year-over-year, reaching $2,135. While this marks a one percentage point increase over the 0.7% growth recorded in the first half of 2024, it still lags behind both the national inflation rate and average wage growth—indicating a slight decline in real rental income for investors and improved affordability for renters. Rent growth also remains well below the elevated levels observed during the first two post-pandemic years—and even below the typical 2–4% historical growth range—suggesting continued softness in the market and slower-than-usual gains for investors.

Regionally, the Midwest—the most affordable area for single-family renters—has seen a strong rebound. Median rent growth surged to 6.1% year-over-year, up from 3.4% last year, matching the pace seen two years ago and leading all U.S. regions...

Click on the PDF link below to read the full report...

Rentometer Mid-Year Report 2025 - National Trends in Single-Family Rental Markets - July 15th, 2025.pdf

Admin Support - AANW & FVAA

Here is a great article from Grainger, on this topic of Mold vs Mildew, which comes up often in the rental housing industry.  Also includes a brief video. 

We hope you like this content!!

  Click on the link below...

Mold vs. Mildew: What's the Difference?

Apartment Association of Northeast Wisconsin, and the Fox Valley Apartment Association

Interesting article by John Burns Consulting on the Fix-and-Flip Market.  Clink on the link below to read it.

How tariffs will change the fix-and-flip market

Rental Housing Journal - 

An Illinois court has ordered a landlord to pay more than $80,000 for threatening to call immigration authorities (ICE) on a tenant couple who rented an apartment from him in 2020, according to reports...

Landlord Ordered to Pay $80,000 Over Threat to Call ICE On Tenants

Apartment Association of Northeast Wisconsin, Inc.

Fox Valley Apartment Association, Inc.

Rental Housing Journal -

Here are 4 things landlords should consider when ICE (Immigration and Customers Enforcement) comes to your rental property from an Arizona landlord-tenant attorney...

Landlords: What To Do When ICE Arrives At Your Rental

Apartment Association of Northeast Wisconsin, Inc.

Fox Valley Apartment Association, Inc.

At the RHC Capitol Day on March 19th, we specifically discussed what happens to the 95% when screening standards become more and more restrictive/regulated.

In the bigger picture, these practices also increase rents and security deposits, decrease housing availability, put upward pressure on market migration, act as a catalyst to more and more deferred maintenance which leads to deteriorating neighborhoods, communities and a reduced tax base. 

Follow this link to read about what is going on out west in Oregon related to Landlords asking about Immigration Status.

Oregon Senate Passes Bill To Ban Landlords Asking About Immigration Status

Apartment Association of Northeast Wisconsin, and the 

Fox Valley Apartment Association

Dear Rental Property Owners, Managers and Investors:

We have talked extensively in the past about Rent Control as of the proposals that came out of the Tenant Protection Package of bills announced in October of 2023.

If you have come to our meetings, and or attended any of our zoom sessions you know that we have never had to look far in the US to find examples of just how poor an idea this concept is.

Closest to us here in Wisconsin are our neighbors to the West, in the State of Minnesota. A prime and nearby review of what has taken place in St. Paul, who enacted Rent Control, and how their twin city, Minneapolis has seen their rental property market boom as the beneficiary of such well-intended, yet ill-conceived ideas. 

Beyond our logistically close example, we can look to what has happened to the rental property markets in New York and California and how draconian Rent Control laws have only worsened the landscape of those markets, for owners AND residents alike.

We offer today a view of what Rent Control has done in the past to Argentina's rental property marketplace, and how "deregulating" all of the bureaucracy that naturally comes along with the size of government needed to administer these programs has demonstrably improved the rental property marketplace for BOTH owners AND their residents.

Please click on the link below to be taken to this article...

https://reason.com/2025/02/08/the-end-of-rent-control-in-argentina/

Once again, Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) reporting obligations under the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) have been revived. On February 17, a federal judge lifted the stay he had ordered on January 7 in Smith v. U.S. Department of the Treasury, 6:24-cv-00336 (E.D. Tex.), which had prevented the Government from enforcing the BOI Rule on a nationwide basis.

On February 18, the U.S. Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) released a notice that announced the following key updates:...

Click here for the full article by the National Law Review.

The on-going saga of this reporting requirement does not appear to be over yet.  If you've tired of this "Who's on first, What's on second, and we have no clue what is taking place on third, musical chairs with this, and filed as initially thought we would all have to do anyway...who could blame you.

But for those of you who may be waiting to see if you will be forced to comply with this, we will do our level best to keep you all apprised of this ever evolving situation.

Apartment Association of Northeast Wisconsin

Volunteer Opportunity: Brown County January Point in Time Count

Help make a difference in our community by joining the Brown County January Point in Time Count on the night of January 22nd. This important effort identifies homelessness trends and ensures resources are effectively allocated.

Date: Overnight, January 22nd-23rd
Shifts: 2-hour volunteer slots from 11:15 PM - 5:30 AM

No experience needed—training materials will be provided.

Sign up to volunteer and make a meaningful impact: http://bit.ly/41kKIMu

Questions? Contact Meaghan Gleason at meaghangleason@newcap.org.

Together, we can help our neighbors in need.