The 2026 single-family rental investing landscape is less about chasing a boom and more about executing in a more normalized market. Investors are weighing each new deal against rising insurance and tax bills, softer home price momentum, and stabilizing mortgage rates. Despite these headwinds, the majority still plan to grow their portfolios.
In this article, you’ll see the full results of the LendingOne-ResiClub SFR Investor Survey for Q4 2025. Investors who own at least one single-family investment property were eligible to respond to our survey, which was fielded between October 26 and December 2. In total, 205 single-family landlords completed the survey. ResiClub, our partner for the survey, is a news and research outlet dedicated to covering the U.S. housing market.
LendingOne’s findings show investors are embracing disciplined, selective growth. Most respondents say they still plan to buy in the next 12 months, even as a growing share also expect to sell off at least one of their properties. Rental demand is the anchor: investors broadly expect renter demand to hold up and plan modest rent increases in 2026, with more aggressive rent growth expectations concentrated in the Northeast and West. At the same time, rising costs are prompting investors to take a closer look at cash flow and be more cautious with their numbers.
“The results of this survey confirm that investors are prioritizing long-term portfolio performance over short-term gains,” said Matthew Neisser, CEO of LendingOne. “The days of simply chasing volume are over. Investors in today’s market are focused on carefully vetted acquisitions and rigorous cost management to ensure sustained success in a mature market.”
Topline Findings
Buying plans stay strong—even as more investors plan to sell
- 38% of single-family rental investors expect to increase their investment activity in 2026 compared to 2025, 52% expect to maintain it, and 9% expect to decrease it.
- 68% of single-family rental investors say they’re very likely (51%) or somewhat likely (17%) to buy another investment property in the next 12 months.
- 43% say they’re likely to sell at least one existing property in the next 12 months.
- 81% of investors in the Midwest say they’re likely to buy another property in the next 12 months. In the West, only 48% of investors say they’re likely to buy another investment property in the next year.
Insurance, taxes, and maintenance are squeezing cash flow
- 88% of investors say rising home insurance premiums impacted their cash flow in 2025.
- Asked which cost rose the most in the past 12 months, 36% of investors say insurance premiums, 30% say property taxes, and 26% say maintenance and repairs.
- In the West, 52% say insurance was their biggest cost increase, and in the Southeast and Southwest, 44% and 47% say the same. In the Midwest and Northeast, the largest shares of investors cite property taxes and maintenance as their biggest cost increases.
- Compared with Q4 2024 (13%) and Q2 2025 (12%), a much smaller share of single-family rental investors in Q4 2025 (3%) say mortgage interest is their fastest-rising cost.
Rental demand remains solid—and most investors plan to raise rents
- 75% of investors describe rental demand in their primary investment market in 2025 as very or somewhat strong.
- 78% expect rental demand in their primary market to be very or somewhat strong in 2026.
- 74% of investors plan to raise rents in 2026, including 45% who expect increases of +1% to +3%.
- Rent growth plans are most aggressive in the Northeast and West, where more than a quarter of investors expect increases of +4% or more, while 58% of Midwest investors plan more modest rent hikes of +1% to +3%.
Investors expect “slow and steady” growth for home prices and rates
- 63% of investors expect national home prices to rise over the next 12 months, 25% expect prices to fall, and 13% expect them to be flat.
- In the Northeast, 88% of investors expect local home prices to rise in 2026.
- 74% of investors say they expect the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate to be between 5.5% and 6.5% by the end of 2026.
- 10.8% of single-family rental investors expect rates above 6.5% in the next 12 months, down sharply from 57.3% in Q2 2025.
Big picture: The Q4 2025 LendingOne–ResiClub SFR Investor Survey points to a market where most single-family rental investors remain active buyers, even as they face higher operating costs and a more normal rate backdrop. Investors are planning for steady rental demand, modest rent and home price growth, and mid-5s to mid-6s mortgage rates. Investors in 2026 are leaning into carefully vetted acquisitions, keeping a close eye on cost management, and focusing on long-term portfolio performance.
