Rental Occupancy Rates Could Fall in Downtown Portland

Yardi Matrix reports that overall occupancy of stabilized properties in the U.S. was 95.6% nationwide in June, down 20 basis points year-over-year. Annual completions are expected to see a peak in 2017.

Yardi forecasts that as that new supply is absorbed, occupancy rates are likely to fall, especially in construction-heavy submarkets like downtown Portland and Austin's Hyde Park, which have seen occupancy decline by more than 3% in the past year.

Yardi expects the second half of 2017 to have slow rent growth the second half of 2017 with increases more in line with wage growth and increases in supply reducing occupancy. Occupancy rates in Portland and Austin have fallen as much as 80 basis points, according to Yardi.

The company forecasts effective annual rent growth in Portland this year will be 2.5%.

A mid-year report by Fredie Mac Multifamily Research Group forecasts Portland's gross rent growth at 5.7% for 2017, with an end of year vacancy rate at 5.1%.