Rental demand in first-tier cities such as Shenzhen is on the rise, causing rental prices to continue to increase.

Compared with housing prices, rent is a more direct indicator associated with residents' cost of living. With the arrival of the peak summer rental season in 2026, the demand for rental housing in first-tier cities such as Shenzhen has rapidly increased, and the rental market has taken the lead in exiting the adjustment phase. Recently, reporters from Securities Times visited several residential communities and urban villages in Luohu District, Longgang District, and Futian District of Shenzhen, and found that with the concentrated release of demand for job-seeking and housing changes during the graduation season, the activity level of the rental market in Shenzhen has significantly increased, and the attractiveness of urban population and economic vitality are intuitively reflected in the rental housing data. From a national perspective, the average rent in first-tier cities in the first half of this year has slightly increased, officially ending the previous two years of adjustment trend. The rent-to-price ratio is a core indicator for measuring the value of housing asset allocation. Cheng Wei, Director of Research at China Index Research Institute, said that in recent years, the impact of continuous adjustments in housing prices has led to a relatively slow decline in rent. As of June, the rent-to-price ratio for the key 50 cities has risen to 2.28%, an increase of 0.3 percentage points from the low point in early 2023, gradually increasing the value of rental asset allocation.