According to NAHB analysis of quarterly Census data, the count of multifamily, for-rent housing starts surged during the second quarter of 2022. At 142,000 units started, this was the largest quarter for rental multifamily construction since the second quarter of 1986.
The market share of rental units of multifamily construction starts bounced back to 96%. In contrast, the historical low share of 47% was set during the third quarter of 2005, during the condo building boom. An average share of 80% was registered during the 1980-2002 period.
For the second quarter, there were just 7,000 multifamily condo construction starts.
An elevated rental share of multifamily construction is holding typical apartment size below levels seen during the pre-Great Recession period. According to second quarter 2022 data, the average square footage of multifamily construction starts ticked down to 1,057. The median increased to 1,036 square feet.
Related
