Seven renters compete for each available apartment in suburban Atlanta's Dunwoody and Brookhaven market, with new construction at a three-year low.
The findings come from a RentCafe Rental Competitiveness Report analyzing Yardi Matrix data across 139 U.S. markets during peak rental season, April through June. The study covered market-rate multifamily properties of at least 50 units and excluded affordable developments. New suburban apartment completions accounted for just 0.43% of local stock during that stretch, the smallest share since at least early 2023.
About two-thirds of suburban renters are staying put.
The lease renewal rate in Atlanta's suburbs topped 66%, according to RentCafe, meaning fewer units are turning over for new tenants.
The picture is even tighter inside the City of Atlanta. Eight applicants competed for each available unit, and apartments leased in an average of 44 days, as first reported by Urbanize Atlanta. Atlanta was one of only two large U.S. markets, those with more than 80,000 units, that added no new large-scale rental projects during the quarter.
Atlanta's lease renewal rate climbed 1.2 percentage points to nearly 64%, the highest peak-season rate in the city in four years. The city jumped 19 spots on RentCafe's national competitiveness index to 33rd, its highest ranking on record.
"Where you search now matters more than when," said Veronica Grecu, senior writer and research analyst at RentCafe, noting that construction slowdowns have made the market intensely local.
Nationally, new apartments represented just 0.5% of all rentals during peak season, down from 0.8% a year earlier.
Local pipeline still moving
Supply is still coming. Several large projects are advancing near the Dunwoody-Brookhaven corridor despite the broader pullback.
Woodfield Development announced plans in August to build 320 apartments at 4170 Ashford Dunwoody Road NE in Brookhaven as part of the Ashford Green mixed-use district. The Brookhaven City Council approved the rezoning. Patrick Kassin, Woodfield's senior vice president, described the Central Perimeter area as "one of metro Atlanta's most established employment centers." The developer plans to acquire the site in the second quarter of 2027 and start construction soon after.
Chicago-based AMLI Residential began opening 630 apartments at AMLI Brookhaven on Lake Hearn Drive in summer 2025, according to Urbanize Atlanta. As of June, one-bedroom units there started at $1,915 per month. Three-bedroom units started at $4,065.
High Street Residential broke ground in February 2025 on the 350-unit Residences at Perimeter Summit at 1251 Perimeter Summit Parkway in Brookhaven, with delivery projected for late 2026. The project's current status has not been confirmed.
Policy responses taking shape
Brookhaven's Planning Commission was considering two text amendments in September that would update the city's workforce housing and nonconforming-use regulations. The amendments aim to expand affordable housing options and preserve existing small-scale multifamily buildings. Staff recommended approval, though the vote outcome has not been confirmed.
DeKalb County's first Comprehensive Housing Plan, launched in October 2025, is scheduled to go before the Board of Commissioners in November for final adoption. DeKalb CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson said at an Aug. 17 housing town hall that the county "cannot solve housing challenges in silos," according to The Champion Newspaper.
Woodfield's planned site acquisition for Ashford Green is set for the second quarter of 2027.
