Housing Units Under Construction and Completed

The number of completed units is nowhere close to four previous peaks.

For two years of longer analysts have been predicting a collapse in the price of rent based on units under construction. Some insists it's already underway but the BLS is lagging.

The CPI Rose Sharply in March

The CPI rose 0.4 percent in March. Rent is up another 0.4 percent in March with gasoline up 1.7 percent. Together, the pair was about half of the total rise.

On April 10, I commented The CPI Rose Sharply in March Led by Shelter and Gasoline

I repeat my core key theme for over two years now. People keep telling me rents are falling, I keep saying they aren't.

Rent of primary residence, the cost that best equates to the rent people pay, jumped another 0.4 percent in March.  Rent of primary residence has gone up at least 0.4 percent for 31 consecutive months! 

The "rents are falling" (or soon will) projections have been based on the price of new leases and cherry picked markets. But existing leases, much more important, keep rising.

Only 8 to 9 percent of renters move each year. It's been a huge mistake thinking new leases and finished construction would drive rent prices.