Portland, Maine one-bedroom rents surge nearly 20% year-over-year
By
Rental Beast
The quarter at a glance:
Rents were mixed, with single-family and 3-bedroom units posting solid quarterly gains (+4.0% and +3.7%) while 1-bedrooms slipped -1.9% quarter-over-quarter
Concessions eased to 30.2% of listings from 37.8% in Q1
Days on market fell sharply to 16 (from 25), a steep drop at -34.7% quarter-over-quarter
The rent-vs-buy gap widened to $835/month from $687, a notable jump in the ownership premium
Median Rent by Unit Type
One-bedroom rents surged 19.5% year-over-year, while three-bedroom rents remain the outlier, still down 3.4% year-over-year.
Portland, ME · Q2 2026
Median rent by property type
Bars show YoY % change
1BD
+19.5%
$2,122
2BD
-0.1%
$2,298
3BD
-3.4%
$2,800
SF
+4.0%
$2,600
MF
+2.9%
$2,213
Quarter over quarter: 1BD -1.9%, 2BD +1.7%, 3BD +3.7%, SF +4.0%, MF +0.6%Rental Beast
Concessions & Days on Market
Concessions fell to 30.2% from 37.8% in Q1, and days on market fell sharply across the board.
Portland, ME · Q2 2026
Concessions and days on market
30.2%
of listings offer a concession down from 37.8% last quarter National median: 39.9%
Median days on market
All
16
SF
16
MF
16
All -34.7% (SF -40.4%, MF -30.4%) quarter over quarter
National median: All 22 / SF 20 / MF 24
Rental Beast
Property Managers Market Sentiment
Every property manager surveyed expects rents to hold steady even as one-bedroom rents surged nearly 20% year-over-year, though applicant sentiment improved from a soft Q1.
Portland, ME · Q2 2026
Market sentiment
Do you expect rent prices to increase, decrease, or remain the same over the next 6 months?
Remain the same, 100%
IncreaseDecreaseRemain the same
vs. Q1 2026: 0% increase, 0% decrease, 100% remain the same
Are you currently getting more, fewer, or about the same applicants for your available rentals?
31%
6%
About the same, 63%
FewerMoreAbout the same
vs. Q1 2026: 47% fewer, 0% more, 53% about the same
Rent vs. buy: the gap widens further
Owning now costs $835 more per month than renting, up from $687 in Q1.
Portland, ME · Q2 2026
Rent vs. buy
Rent
$2,800
Buy
$3,635
$835/mo
more expensive to buy than rent. The gap widened from $687 last quarter (up $148 quarter over quarter).
Rent vs. buy gap by quarter
2Q253Q254Q251Q262Q26
Median list price $650,000 (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 Portland-South Portland, ME, 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.
