How and Why Renting Is on the Rise

According to the Urban Institute, single-family rentals are the fastest-developing segment in the housing market.

This trend began with larger firms buying cheap homes, and turning them into rentals, becoming a viable housing option for families who'd lost their homes or could not qualify for a mortgage. Currently, smaller landlords now dominate the market, per Credit.com. Investors with fewer than 10 units own 87 percent of all single-family rentals.

Big players continue to push the trend, some deploying a new build-to-rent model. Housing firms are actively building single-family homes intending to rent them rather than sell, says ATTOM Data Solutions, a firm that analyzes housing market data.

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