Los Angeles Rents Fall 3.6% in Q3

Median asking rent across Los Angeles County dropped year over year, though prices remain 11.7% below their 2022 peak.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Apartments

Isometric editorial illustration of three stacked flat-roofed apartment blocks descending in height beside a palm tree, in cream, slate blue, and mustard, suggesting falling rents. — Median asking rent in Los Angeles County fell 3.6% year over year to $2,554 in the third quarter, according to Realtor.com. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Do you think rents are getting more affordable in your area right now?

Los Angeles County's median asking rent fell 3.6% year over year to $2,554 in the third quarter of 2026, according to Realtor.com. Asking rents are now $363 per month below their 2022 peak.

Why it matters

The decline offers some relief to Los Angeles renters, but affordability remains strained because the annual income needed for a typical home still exceeds the city's median household income. Rents within the city of Los Angeles remain $158, or 5.5%, above pre-pandemic levels.

Realtor.com's asking-rent figures show the median in Los Angeles County at $2,554 in Q3 2026, down 3.6% year over year. The city's estimated median household income is $88,730, while the annual income needed to afford a typical Los Angeles home is $108,320.

The players

Realtor.com

Realtor.com is a national real estate listings platform that publishes rental market data, including asking-rent reports for metropolitan areas.

The details

Asking rents declined across unit sizes, with three-bedroom homes falling 1.9% to $3,571 and homes with up to two bedrooms dropping 3.8% to $2,239. Some of the city's additional smaller rentals come from finished accessory dwelling units, and new rentals enter the market property by property as they become tenant-ready.

• 2022: Los Angeles rents reached their peak before the recent decline.
• Q3 2026: Realtor.com reported the latest county and city asking-rent figures.

Market Landscape

Current Los Angeles County asking rents sit 11.7% below the 2022 peak documented by Realtor.com, which marks the high point the market is now retreating from. Rents within the city remain $158 above pre-pandemic levels, showing the decline has not fully unwound the post-2020 increase.

For renters, the decline means a three-bedroom home in the county now averages $3,571 and a two-bedroom-or-smaller unit averages $2,239 in asking rent. Households earning the city's median income would still need to earn about 22.1% more to afford a typical home.

The takeaway

Renters weighing a move should compare current asking rents against the 2022 peak, since prices remain well below that level even as they stay above pre-pandemic figures. Budgeting should account for the gap between typical rent and the income typically needed to afford a home in the city.