Zillow: CPI Shelter Forecast, March 2026
Zillow forecasts 2.5% rent inflation, 3.0% OER inflation annually in March, as measured by the Consumer Price Index.
New shelter inflation numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics are scheduled to be released on Friday, April 10, 2025 at 8:30 ET.
Key Takeaway
CPI housing inflation measures are expected to continue moderating through 2026, driven by the deceleration in market rents. Expectations for greater rental supply and a stagnant job market also support a flatter outlook for housing costs.
The Forecast
| Period | Owners’ Equivalent Rent | Rent of Primary Residence | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month-over-month | Year-over-year | Month-over-month | Year-over-year | |||||
| Forecast | Actual | Forecast | Actual | Forecast | Actual | Forecast | Actual | |
| October 2025 | 0.22% | X | 3.56% | X | 0.19% | X | 3.27% | X |
| November 2025 | 0.31% | X | 3.62% | 3.36% | 0.25% | X | 3.27% | 2.97% |
| December 2025 | 0.27% | 0.31% | 3.25% | 3.36% | 0.21% | 0.27% | 2.93% | 2.92% |
| January 2026 | 0.26% | 0.22% | 3.29% | 3.26% | 0.21% | 0.25% | 2.78% | 2.84% |
| February 2026 | 0.18% | 0.22% | 3.14% | 3.19% | 0.19% | 0.13% | 2.74% | 2.68% |
| March 2026 | 0.21% | — | 3.02% | — | 0.17% | — | 2.55% | — |
| + + + | + + + | + + + | + + + | + + + | + + + | + + + | + + + | + + + |
| December 2026 | 0.13% | — | 2.39% | — | 0.12% | — | 2.15% | — |
Owners’ Equivalent Rent (OER)
Monthly outlook: Owner’s Equivalent Rent, which measures what homeowners would theoretically pay to rent their own homes, is projected to have increased 0.21% in March 2026 (95% confidence interval: 0.09% – 0.33%) continuing the trend of gradual slowing into the new year. This would bring the annual increase in the index to 3.02%, a slight moderation from 3.19% in February. We expect the monthly growth to continue trending downward to a 0.13% pace over the year.
Annual outlook: We forecast OER to rise 2.39% over 2026, a slowdown from the 2025 increase.
Rent of Primary Residence
Monthly outlook: Rent of Primary Residence, which tracks rent payments, is projected to have increased 0.17% in March 2026 (95% confidence interval: 0.04% – 0.31%), continuing the downward trend. This would bring the annual increase in the index to 2.55%, a slight moderation from 2.68% in February. We expect the monthly growth to continue trending downward to a 0.12% pace over the year.
Annual outlook: We forecast the Rent of Primary Residence index to rise 2.15% over 2026, a substantial slowdown from the 2025 increase.
Market Rents
Single-family: Zillow’s expectations for on-market rent growth for single-family units were revised up: single-family rents are now expected to moderate to a 1.8% year-over-year increase by the end of 2026.
Multifamily: Zillow’s expectations for on-market rent growth for apartments were revised up: multifamily rents are expected to moderate to a 0.8%year-over-year increase by the end of 2026.
The shelter components of the CPI continue to increase at a faster pace than these on-market rent trends, reflecting not only new lease pricing but also rent changes for renewing and longer-term tenants.
Methodology
These forecasts are based on predictions from a model that makes explicit the relationship between on market rents (measured by the Zillow’s Observed Rent Index) and the shelter components of the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
The model incorporates:
- Expected on-market rent growth (Zillow’s Observed Rent Forecast, ZORF)
- Assumptions about how landlords adjust rents at lease renewal
- Renter mobility rates, which determine what share of tenants face a market rent increase.
