28% of Tampa renters want to leave town, report finds | Tampa Bay News | Tampa

Justin Garcia
Protesters outside Tampa City Hall demand rent control last March.
It seems the tenants in Tampa have had enough.
Since the start of the pandemic, the median rent in the Tampa area has skyrocketed 39%, representing “the fastest rent growth of any major metro in the country,” according to a new report from Apartment. List.
Now, according to the site’s Quarterly Renter Migration Report, 28% of Tampa renters are currently looking for apartments outside the metro area, with cities like Miami, Lakeland and North Port as top destinations.
Going the other way, the report notes that 43% of renters looking for apartments in Tampa search from locations outside the area, with Orlando, Miami and New York providing the most search interests. incoming.
The report says that while Miami was the top search destination for New York-based renters, Tampa’s rapid growth, on the other hand, is largely driven by out-of-state renters.
“[Tampa’s] the surge in demand appears to be coming from renters who already live in Florida – Orlando and Miami are the top two sources of inbound searches in Tampa, and three other Florida metros (North Port, Lakeland and Jacksonville) are in the top 10, “says the report.
Last March, the Tampa City Council unanimously voted to enact a “Tenants Bill of Rights” Ordinance, which, among other things, prohibits landlord discrimination against tenants who receive government assistance.
Meanwhile, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor has dismissed any idea involving stabilization or rent control, arguing it would scare off developers.