Zillow - Find rentals & contact directly

Zillow Rentals serves as a comprehensive resource for those seeking rental properties, whether they are houses or apartments. You can receive alerts when new listings become available on the market. When you're ready to make a move, you have the option to communicate with landlords and property managers directly.

Key Features:

• Find apartments and homes for rent using specific addresses, cities, or ZIP codes, or create personalized search boundaries.

• Narrow down rental listings based on size and amenities such as in-unit laundry, parking availability, and pet-friendly options.

• Receive immediate notifications when properties that fit your criteria come onto the market.

• Reach out to landlords and property managers instantly through phone or email, with those contacts saved automatically in your Favorites for easy tracking.

• Access your Favorites via a map and get directions to visit potential listings.

• Utilize Rent Zestimates® as an initial benchmark to evaluate the fair-market rates of different apartments and houses.

• Get daily updates to remain informed about new rental opportunities.

• Explore available rental listings for apartments, houses, condos, and townhomes in either a list view or on a map.

• Create your Renter Profile to quickly respond to apartment postings.

• Filter rental properties based on commute times to ensure a swift journey.

• Use the “days on Zillow” filter to identify fresh listings more efficiently.

• Review the rental listings you've recently viewed and saved.

Zillow Rentals encompasses all the necessary information and tools required to help you find your ideal rental apartment or home.

What is a room rental? Will I have access to the rest of the property?

A room rental will typically provide you access to your own private room with shared access to the rest of the property (house, townhouse, condo unit). Check the listing or contact the listing contact to confirm if the room rental includes a private or shared bathroom.

Is the room furnished? Can I or will I need to bring other furniture and belongings for the shared living spaces?

Check your listing to see if the room or shared living spaces are furnished. For additional questions, ask the person listing the room what to expect in the shared living arrangement.

Why am I not seeing the gender and housemate description for some listings?

Details about gender and housemates are optional fields, therefore, the information may not always be available.

Why does the listing say they prefer (insert gender)? Doesn’t this violate Fair Housing and Zillow’s Respectful Renting Pledge?

Fair Housing requirements generally permit stating a gender preference in cohabitating situations.

What are some ways to avoid scams and fraud when searching and touring rooms for rent?

See some helpful tips for spotting and avoiding scams and rental fraud when searching for a room for rent: How to Recognize and Avoid Rental Fraud and Tips to Help Avoid Scams While Searching for a Housemate.

I’m confused by how the Room filter is supposed to work? Can I use it with other filters (e.g., number of bedrooms, bathroom, etc)?

Room helps you narrow your results to just Room listings. You can continue to use all other filters (e.g., number of bedrooms, number of bathrooms) that will continue to refer to the property level details (e.g., 3-bedroom house, 2-bathroom house). Together, you can look for Room listings within specific sized houses, townhouses or condos.

Homes are on track to be affordable in 20 major US markets by year’s end

After several years in which the affordability bar has climbed higher and higher, the U.S. housing market is beginning to show signs of improvement for buyers. A combination of cooling home value growth and lower mortgage rates are bringing housing costs down to more manageable levels in a growing number of major cities.

A new forecast from Zillow suggests that by the end of 2026, the typical home in 20 of the nation’s 50 largest metro areas will be affordable for a median-income household. This prediction is based on the broadly accepted definition of affordability: spending no more than 30% of income on mortgage, property tax, property insurance and home maintenance. That would be the highest number of affordable markets since 2022.

Nationally, a median-income household now would spend about 32.6% of its income on monthly mortgage payments and homeowner expenses on a typical U.S. home, which is down from recent highs and the most favorable reading in nearly four years. Zillow expects that figure to edge lower, to 31.8%, by late 2026 if current conditions persist.

Economists say the improvement reflects a rebalancing housing market rather than a collapse in prices. Home values continue to rise in many areas, but at a slower pace. At the same time, mortgage rates have eased from their peak and wages have continued to grow, helping households regain some financial footing.

“This is what a small-wins year looks like for housing,” said Kara Ng, a senior economist at Zillow. “Rising incomes, subdued price growth and gradually easing mortgage rates would help buyers regain their footing while allowing homeowners to continue building wealth. These types of slow and steady affordability improvements are exactly what the housing market needs over the long run.”

Market trends in context

Affordability reached its breaking point in 2023, when mortgage rates climbed rapidly and monthly payments absorbed 38% of median household income nationwide. At that stage, only a small number of large metro areas met Zillow’s affordability benchmark.

The current outlook points to a wider recovery. Zillow expects affordability to improve in nearly every major metro area, with Hartford, Connecticut, as an outlier.

The forecast reflects expectations that mortgage rates will hover near 6% by the end of 2026, while income growth outpaces modest home values growth. Changes to any of those factors could alter the pace of improvement, particularly in higher-cost markets.

However, affordability remains strained in many parts of the country. Buyers in coastal cities still face high home prices and significant upfront costs, and affordability has not returned to pre-pandemic norms. What has changed is direction: The market is no longer moving decisively against buyers.

What this means for real estate agents

For real estate agents, improving affordability may translate into renewed activity from buyers who stepped back during the height of rate volatility. As monthly payments ease, especially in more balanced markets, some first-time buyers may reenter the search with clearer expectations and firmer budgets.

The uneven nature of the recovery places greater emphasis on local knowledge. Affordability gains vary widely by metro, making it critical for agents to help clients understand where conditions are improving and where financial constraints remain tight. In a slower, more balanced market, agents who can clearly explain pricing dynamics and financing realities may play a larger role in helping deals move forward.

The bottom line

The latest forecast points to a housing market that is finding its footing after years of rapid change. Affordability challenges persist, but are moving in the right direction. For buyers, agents and policymakers, the trend suggests a market that is becoming more predictable and, over time, more workable — not through dramatic shifts, but through steady improvement.