The Two Fastest-Growing Types Of Built-For-Rent, And The Metro Markets That Love Them

There are two product types that are gaining share within the built-for-rent single-family (”BTR”) space, being 1) horizontal apartment communities, and, 2) townhome communities. These are the two categories of BTR that are growing fastest, evidenced by the numbers of units reaching completion, and also based on our book of market study business. Of course, traditional single-family developments (full-sized homes on individual lots) are coming out of the ground in large numbers as well, but the fastest growth right now is in these two “denser” categories.

The exhibit below shows the top ten markets ranked by the number of horizontal- apartment units delivered since 2016 (as of mid-2023). These kinds of rental units are usually marketed as “cottages,” and they offer two main advantages over traditional apartments: private outdoor space for each unit, and few or no shared walls.