The rent is too damn high in Silicon Valley—and it's driving off in-house candidates.

Bay Area legal recruiters said it has become increasingly common for in-house candidates at all levels to turn down offers in Silicon Valley, explicitly citing “cost of living” as the reason for their decision. The shrinking pool of available candidates coupled with growing demand for in-house counsel is keeping positions open in the region for longer than usual.

“I've had candidates not be able to accept assignments because of the cost of living here. And that's what they say, 'cost of living.' I think it's a very common term now that I'm hearing more regularly,” said Elisabetta Fabiani, a legal recruiter and Silicon Valley branch director of staffing firm Robert Half International.