The Washington D.C.-based National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC)’s Rent Payment Tracker found that 75.4% of apartment households made a full or partial rent payment by December 6 in its survey of 11.5 million units of professionally-managed apartment units across the country.

The number represents a 7.8-percentage point, or 894,864-household decrease from the share who paid rent through December 6, 2019 and compares to 80.4% that had paid by November 6, 2020.

“While the initial rent collection figures for the first week of December are concerning, only a full month’s results will paint a complete picture,” said Doug Bibby, president at NMHC. “However, it should not come as a surprise that a rising number of households are struggling to make ends meet. As the nation enters a winter with increasing COVID-19 case levels and even greater economic distress – as indicated by last week’s disquieting employment report – it is only a matter of time before both renters and housing providers reach the end of their resources.”

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