An 8-point framework for tracking the rise of large corporate landlords in single-family rentals

This report, “An 8-point framework for tracking the rise of large corporate landlords in single-family rentals,” dives into how current real estate processes can exacerbate existing inequalities during disaster recovery. In the aftermath of the foreclosure crisis and the rise of investment in single-family rentals, there is a growing interest in the effect rental property investors might have on various outcomes for low-income tenants. Many investors viewed the COVID-19 economic crisis as another opportunity to accelerate investments in purchases of residential housing stock, including single-family houses, apartment buildings, long-stay motels and mobile home parks. A few of the key takeaways from this paper include:

• Large corporate firms are buying up larger shares of neighborhoods—especially in majority Black neighborhoods.
• The racial wealth gap will widen if Black households are crowded out of the market.
• Policymakers must seriously consider tenant protection in response to the increasingly consolidated rental markets operated by extremely powerful firms.