Central Florida's Rental Market Is Changing: What Property Owners and Renters Need to Know

Written by:

Steve Marcinuk

Date:

16 Sep 2025

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The rental market in Orlando is undergoing significant changes. Rising costs, new regulations, and increasing competition are prompting property managers and property owners to reassess their operational strategies.

Christy Lake, Market Manager at PURE Property Management of Florida, is currently opening a new office in Central Florida after spending 16 years in Florida’s real estate industry. Her insights give a clear picture of what’s happening in one of Florida’s busiest rental markets.

 Rising Costs Are Shaping Rental Prices

Property owners across Florida are facing higher expenses—including property taxes, insurance premiums (especially hurricane insurance), mortgage rates, maintenance and repairs, which are highly challenging yet solvable with a Property Manager. These rising costs are forcing property owners to raise rent or absorb losses to keep good residents.

“Some owners never planned to become landlords, while others have been planning for years,” says Lake. “But rising expenses change what they need to earn to make their investment worthwhile.” PURE Property Management has handled over 100,000 + maintenance requests this year alone and has strong knowledge of fair and appropriate rates, making it hard to be taken advantage of. 

Many renters don’t realize these increases aren’t just personal decisions by their landlord. It’s happening across the board.

“All rents are going up,” Lake explains. “It’s not just your landlord—it’s happening everywhere due to low supply and inflation. For example, higher costs for things such as taxes, insurance, and repairs mean landlords have to charge more rent just to cover their expenses.”

Different Neighborhoods, Different Trends

Rental demand in Orlando varies by location. Areas near Disney and local colleges tend to attract more people—especially newcomers who want to rent before buying a home.

“A lot of people visit Orlando on vacation, fall in love with it, and plan to retire here,” Lake says. “They often rent for a year before buying so they can explore different neighborhoods.”

This steady flow of renters helps maintain strong demand in tourist-heavy areas.

What Kind of Properties Do Investors Prefer?

Investors in Orlando have different preferences based on how involved they want to be:

• Condos are easier to maintain because the HOA handles the outside upkeep.
• Single-family homes offer more control, and are the highest demand for rentals, naturally people look for larger space, wanting room for children or personal interests.

Her advice? Visit the neighborhood in person before making a purchase. If you can’t, we’re your eyes and ears. We have insights and observations that are not found online. 

“Don’t rely on online reviews,” she says. “What’s a great neighborhood for one person might not feel right for another.”

How Property Managers Add Value

Companies like PURE Property Management are offering more than just basic management services. They provide:

• Renters insurance 
• Monthly air filter delivery
• Owner protection insurance that covers unpaid rent and more

“We try to make life easier, simple and satisfying for both residents and property owners,” Lake says.

The company also focuses heavily on communication: calls are returned within 12–24 hours, and clients can call their manager directly for urgent issues.

 A Crowded Market

Orlando has numerous property management companies, ranging from large to small. 

“There are more property management companies in the Central Florida area than grocery stores,” Lake jokes, however, most are small, part-time and lack sophistication and experience. “A real estate agent managing on the side is easily distracted with a listing.” 

In such a crowded market, building trust and providing excellent service is more important than offering the cheapest price.

 New Rule: Legal Notices by Email

A big change this year: Florida now allows property managers to send legal notices by email, such as:

• 3-day notices for late rent
• 7-day notices for lease violations
• Eviction notices
• Security Deposits and more

As long as the resident agrees to electronic communication, managers can email these instead of posting them on doors.

“It saves time, money, and avoids problems such as papers getting blown away or soaked in the rain,” Lake says. “Plus, you get a receipt showing the resident received it.”

It’s no surprise that everyone supports this. It is 2025. 

Looking Ahead: Central Florida Still a Strong Investment

Despite today’s challenges, Lake believes Central Florida is a great place to invest.

“I have clients who’ve bought several homes over the past few years. One of them now owns seven, and he plans to give one to each of his kids when he retires,” she shares.

Success, she says, depends on good planning and strong property management.

Final Thoughts

The Central Florida rental market is competitive and evolving quickly—but it still offers excellent opportunities for the right investors and remains undersupplied with SFR rentals. If there’s one thing that keeps a lid on rising rents, it’s supply. When demand exceeds supply, rents rise. That’s why we always say we need more supply. In every market across the US where there has been strong growth in supply, rents have been flat, or even gone down.

To succeed, property owners need a property manager who stays ahead of the curve, a manager they trust and rely on to have their investments’ best interest at heart.