Local renters are finding more affordable housing and deals on parking and other concessions as the Cincinnati-area rental market cools along with the temperature.
The median rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the Cincinnati area in January is $1,090, down 1.8% compared to the same month last year, according to Zumper’s National Rent Report. The report also showed the median two-bedroom rent in the local area is essentially flat at $1,450.
Cincinnati mirrors the national trend in which one- and two-bedroom rents were down 2% and 1.5%, respectively, comparing December 2024 to December 2025, according to Zumper, a digital rental marketplace.
Landlords offering lower rents, other concessions
In addition to lower rents, an increasing number of landlords are also offering other concessions, such as free or discounted parking spaces, no pet fees, and even gift cards to local retailers and grocery stores.
According to a separate report from Zillow, more than 26% of all rental listings in the Cincinnati area showed rent reductions and other concessions in December 2025. The share of landlords offering concessions was up about 2% from December 2024.
Nationwide, the share of landlords in the 50 largest U.S. metros offering concessions continued to climb in January, edging up 0.1 percentage points from December, according to the Zillow report.
Renters have most negotiating power in winter months
Renters typically gain ground in the winter months when more units sit vacant and property owners are often forced to reduce rents and make other concessions to attract renters, according to Kara Ng, a senior economist on Zillow’s economic research team.
“No one wants to move in December, and nobody wants to move in January,” Ng said. “As a renter, this is when you have the most leverage.”
Rent growth expected to continue to cool
Experts predict concessions will continue to be widely available and rents will grow at a more moderate pace compared to recent years, in part, because of the rapid pace of multifamily construction.
According to Zumper, active inventory in the Cincinnati area increased more than 12% year-over-year, when comparing December 2024 to December 2025.
“We expect rent growth in Cincinnati to continue cooling as the city works through the waves of new supply,” Zumper said in a statement to The Enquirer. “While this new inventory is being absorbed, rents likely won’t see major declines but more so an extended period of subdued growth with longer lease-up periods and more concessions, especially in newer buildings.”
Cincinnati still has shortage of affordable housing
Cincinnati still has a shortage of subsidized or affordable housing, with an estimated deficit of nearly 50,000 to 54,000 affordable and available units for low-income households, according to the National Low Income Housing Association.
But construction of market-rate rental units has been on a tear.
According to the latest Apartment Construction Report from RentCafe, the Cincinnati metro area was set to complete an estimated 2,499 new apartments in 2025, with the city of Cincinnati alone accounting for 1,096 units.
Previously, there were 12,815 units completed between 2020 and 2024.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Why it’s getting easier to rent in Greater Cincinnati
Reporting by Randy Tucker, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
