Boston rents keep climbing as days on market improve across the board
By
Rental Beast
The quarter at a glance:
Rents firmed modestly across every unit type, led by 3-bedrooms at +2.3% quarter-over-quarter
Concessions eased to 23% of listings from 25.8% in Q1
Days on market dropped to 25 (from 28), with single-family homes seeing the sharpest pullback at -22.2%
The rent-vs-buy gap widened to $1,521/month from $1,362, keeping ownership meaningfully pricier than renting
Median Rent by Unit Type
Every property type posted gains both year-over-year and quarter-over-quarter, led by 3-bedroom rents at $3,500 (+3.4% YoY, +2.3% QoQ), a sign of continued strength across the board.
Boston, MA · Q2 2026
Median rent by property type
Bars show YoY % change
1BD
+2.1%
$2,450
2BD
+3.7%
$2,820
3BD
+3.4%
$3,500
SF
+3.5%
$3,000
MF
+2.8%
$2,684
Quarter over quarter: 1BD +0.2%, 2BD +0.7%, 3BD +2.3%, SF +0.2%, MF +0.5%Rental Beast
Concessions & Days on Market
Concessions eased to 23.0% from Q1's 25.8%, and days on market improved meaningfully across every segment, pointing to sustained demand.
Boston, MA · Q2 2026
Concessions and days on market
23.0%
of listings offer a concession down from 25.8% last quarter (up 29.9% YoY) National median: 39.9%
Median days on market
All
25
SF
21
MF
25
All -10.7% (SF -22.2%, MF -10.7%) quarter over quarter
National median: All 22 / SF 20 / MF 24
Rental Beast
Property Managers Market Sentiment
Property managers pulled back sharply on rent-increase expectations while applicant demand looks stronger than last quarter, both consistent with continued rent growth.
Boston, MA · Q2 2026
Market sentiment
Do you expect rent prices to increase, decrease, or remain the same over the next 6 months?
4%
5%
Remain the same, 91%
IncreaseDecreaseRemain the same
vs. Q1 2026: 21% increase, 0% decrease, 79% remain the same
Are you currently getting more, fewer, or about the same applicants for your available rentals?
28%
About the same, 72%
FewerMoreAbout the same
vs. Q1 2026: 0% fewer, 12% more, 88% about the same
Rent vs. buy: the widest gap yet
Owning grew even more expensive relative to renting, with the gap widening to $1,521 per month, the widest in this data series.
Boston, MA · Q2 2026
Rent vs. buy
Rent
$3,500
Buy
$5,021
$1,521/mo
more expensive to buy than rent. The gap widened from $1,362 last quarter (up $159 quarter over quarter).
Rent vs. buy gap by quarter
1Q252Q253Q254Q251Q262Q26
Median list price $850,000 (May 2026). 20% down, 6.5% rate, taxes and insuranceRental Beast
Rental data used in this report are sourced and catalogued directly by Rental Beast, unless otherwise noted. Rental Beast listing data covers a range of rental property types and owner types operating within the long-term rental market (generally considered to be leases with a minimum of three months). Single-family rentals (SFR) are considered to be properties with 4 or fewer units. Multifamily (MF) is more than 4 doors. Unless otherwise noted, our analysis uses the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH, metropolitan statistical area (MSA) as the geographical unit.
Rents are calculated based on these listings. Days on market (DOM) and concession analysis are based on these listings, with some data sources excluded due to DOM and concession info being unavailable or deemed to be unreliable. Concessions are incentives that entice renters to sign a lease (e.g., one month free, a gift card, etc.).
Our sentiment survey is based on phone conversations during Q2 2026 with rental building and community managers and property managers. Questions and answer choices:
Q1. Do you expect rent prices to increase, remain the same or decrease over the next 6 months? [Possible answers: Remain the same, increase, decrease]
Q2. Do you believe you are currently getting more, about the same or fewer applicants for your available rentals? [Possible answers: About the same, more, fewer]
DISCLAIMER. This report attempts to provide reliable and useful information; however, there is no guarantee that the information or other content in this document is accurate, current or suitable for any particular purpose. All content is subject to change without notice. All content is provided on an “as is” basis, with no warranties of any kind whatsoever. Rental data used in this report are sourced and catalogued directly by Rental Beast, unless otherwise noted. Our analysis uses MSA as the geographical unit and is not reflective of all-U.S. measures. Information from this document may be used with proper attribution.
