INLAND EMPIRE - (INT) - Residential housing rents have been steadily climbing for almost five years and there's nothing on the horizon to suggest a change.

Real Answers has examined the housing market and says the gravy train keeps rolling. 'Landlords are grabbing all they can, lining their coffers in preparation for leaner times that never come.'

The Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metro area ranked fifth in the U.S. for all-rent gains: The all-rent average rose $41 to $1,246 per month from $1,205 in the first quarter of 2015, according to RealFacts spokesman Nick Grotjahn. That’s $59 higher than the national average.

The average occupancy rate in the cities of Riverside, San Bernardino, Ontario, Redlands and Moreno Valley was 95 to 96 percent in the first quarter of 2015.

Grotjahn’s message on rent gain has been consistent for three consecutive quarters: “It boils down to supply and demand.”

Occupancy has been at all-time highs in California and the Inland area, putting pressure on long-term renters in places like San Francisco where RealFacts reports that landlords are deploying exit plans to bring in more affluent clientele.

Story Date: July 30, 2015