Rents Were Flat In Seattle In January: Report

SEATTLE, WA - Rent did not increase in Seattle in January, according to the real estate website RENTCafé, but rose in many other cities in Washington. After seven straight years of growth, rent in Seattle dropped a minor 2.9 percent in December, according to reports, and that slowdown appears to be continuing into 2018.

The average rent in Seattle was $1,972 in January, but that's almost a $1,000 increase compared to 2010. Across the region, Kent and Spokane saw the biggest rent increases in January, but average rents in those cities were far less than cities like Seattle and Bellevue.

Bellevue maintained its status as the priciest rental market. The average rent was $2,064 in January, a 0.2 percent increase over December, but only a 0.8 percent increase compared to January 2017. Seattle rents grew 5.1 percent between January 2017 and January 2018, according to RENTCafé.

If you're looking for the cheapest (but rising) rents in Washington, head east to Spokane.

Here's the January snapshot of rents around Washington:

Caption: On April 24, 2013, Kris King spreads his arms as he shows off his tiny apartment in Seattle. Even King was initially shocked by the size of the apartment he rented near downtown, roughly the size of large parking spot.

Photo by Elaine Thompson/Associated Press