The Indicator from Planet Money · Tuesday, July 7, 2026
Property managers are resorting to offering financial incentives, such as waived fees or free rent, to fill newly constructed apartments. Zillow reported a record high in April for rental listings offering such deals, with some offering as much as two to three and a half months of free rent.
“There are a lot of apartment buildings hitting the market all at once and property managers are trying to fill it. And they're doing it with freebies.”
“Out of all the rentals listed on Zillow and April, almost half were offering some financial incentive to move in. A Zillow record.”
“The incentive could be anything from a waived pet fee to a month or two of free rent. Free rent!”