If you are looking to diversify your investment portfolio, a great addition might be a single family home to rent out. There are a number of reasons why getting into renting a house could be very profitable. For one, rentals returns are similar to stocks but without being so volatile. The stock market can fluctuate quite a lot, but rental assets tend to remain pretty steady. Aside from the lack of ups and downs, there is a lot of opportunity in rental properties. Rent has continued to increase since 1985, even during the housing crisis. There are also some new areas to look into renting in, since coastal markets have really become saturated and hard to get a good deal. You can also find a great property within your budget. On top of that, the costs of owning a home are surpassing the costs of renting, so more and more people may rent for the long term and it is estimated that renter households will outpace homeowners by four million. Ultimately, you can’t time the housing market and cycle but the best time to get into renting is now because you’ll quickly start bringing in money, which will turn to profits in no time.

Key Points:

  • 1According to John Burns Real Estate Consulting, single-family rental rates have grown steadily since 1985.
  • 2Single-family rental returns are comparable to stocks, with far less volatility.
  • 3The local market dynamics are creating pockets of opportunity for residents.


Today’s rental market represents more than 16 million households, according to Green Street Advisors. With significant demographic shifts either anticipated or under way, new renter households are expected to increase by 13 million by 2030, according to the Urban Institute