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Businessman at crossroads betweem buying and renting
Elnur Amikishiyev/Elnur - stock.adobe.com
Rising rents could suggest the homebuyer pool is about to get even bigger at a time when demand in the housing market is already far outpacing supply.

The national average monthly rent for all unit types hit $1,361 in January, a 2.8% increase from the same period last year, according to apartment listing website RentCafe. And with apartment rents growing in 89% of the nation's biggest cities this month, renters may be even more tempted by homeownership.

But there's a problem: owner-occupied housing inventory remains severely constrained, driving up home prices and holding back home sales. So while this potential influx of home buying demand would be welcomed by mortgage lenders, the opportunity isn't reaching its full potential.

Still, with rents and home prices both on the rise, consumers may find putting their housing dollars toward equity in a home more appealing than renting with no opportunity for a return on investment.

Year-over-year rents declined in only six of the 250 cities that RentCafe analyzed, with Lubbock, Texas, seeing the biggest decline, at 6.3%. The only large market to see a year-over-year decline was Brooklyn, N.Y.

Renters in New York City had enjoyed a two-year-long freeze on rent-stabilized units, but that ended late last year. However, Brooklyn residents are now bracing for a lengthy shutdown of a subway line that serves as a main artery for connecting the borough to Manhattan. Repair work won't begin until 2019, but it may already be affecting the neighborhood's real estate market.

On the other hand, lenders should keep an eye on markets like the neighboring West Texas cities of Midland and Odessa have seen rents rise more than 30%, as rising oil prices have helped improve the local economy that's dominated by the energy sector.

Here's a look at the 12 housing markets with the largest year-over-year rent increases. The data is provided by RentCafe's sister company, Yardi Matrix, a commercial real estate and data platform.
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lindaparton - stock.adobe.com

No. 12: Detroit, Mich.

Average Rent: $1,020
Year-over-year change: 7.6%
Month-over-month change: 1.6%
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Downtown Boise from the top of a parking garage
Robert Crow/vividcorvid - Fotolia

No. 11: Boise, Idaho

Average Rent: $1,033
Year-over-year change: 7.6%
Month-over-month change: 0.1%
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No. 10: Fairfield, Calif.

Average Rent: $1,666
Year-over-year change: 7.6%
Month-over-month change: -0.5%
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aerial view of Fort Collins downtown in sunrise light, shot from a low flying drone
Marek Uliasz/Marek - Fotolia

No. 9: Fort Collins, Colo.

Average Rent: $1,436
Year-over-year change: 7.9%
Month-over-month change: 0.1%
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No. 8: Salinas, Calif.

Average Rent: $1,575
Year-over-year change: 7.9%
Month-over-month change: 1%
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jon manjeot - stock.adobe.com

No. 7: Gilbert, Ariz.

Average Rent: $1,156
Year-over-year change: 8.5%
Month-over-month change: 0.4%
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Drone view of downtown Sacramento - capital of California
Uladzik Kryhin/Uladzik Kryhin - stock.adobe.com

No. 6: Sacramento/Roseville, Calif.

Sacramento
Average Rent: $1,287
Year-over-year change: 8.5%
Month-over-month change: -0.5%

Roseville
Average Rent: $1,603
Year-over-year change: 8.5%
Month-over-month change: 0.4%
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Skyline of St. Petersburg, Florida
Sean Pavone/SeanPavonePhoto - stock.adobe.com

No. 5: St. Petersburg, Fla.

Average Rent: $1,265
Year-over-year change: 9.3%
Month-over-month change: 0.6%
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Famous "The Biggest Little City in the World" sign at night in Reno, Nevada, USA
Don Mammoser/donyanedomam - stock.adobe.com

No. 4: Reno, Nev.

Average Rent: $1,120
Year-over-year change: 9.6%
Month-over-month change: 0.3%
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No. 3: Lancaster, Calif.

Average Rent: $1,175
Year-over-year change: 10.2%
Month-over-month change: 0.6%
Buffalo, N.Y.
Zack Frank - stock.adobe.com

No. 2: Buffalo, N.Y.

Average Rent: $1,032
Year-over-year change: 12.1%
Month-over-month change: 1.1%
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Rex Wholster - stock.adobe.com

No. 1: Midland/Odessa, Texas

Midland
Average Rent: $1,303
Year-over-year change: 31.4%
Month-over-month change: 0.4%

Odessa
Average Rent: $1,153
Year-over-year change: 35%
Month-over-month change: 1.6%
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