Many multifamily markets continue down the path of least resistance to rent growth, according to the latest in a monthly series of studies from researchers at Florida Atlantic University, Florida Gulf Coast University, and the University of Alabama. The combination of well-documented demographic shifts and just as well-known lack of rental housing seem to be the dual big drivers.

The Fort Myers and Miami markets still had the largest year-over-year rent increases, at 25.22% and 24.61% respectively. And yet, those are two showing at least some slowing of the pace. In Fort Myers, rents were up only 7.05% in the last six months, while Miami showed 8.39% growth, so the biggest jumps were from before then.

"In Knoxville, Tennessee, the average rent rose 12.29 percent, up from 7.67 percent in the six months prior," according to a press release about the report. "On a six-month basis, rent gains also have increased in New York (10.52 percent vs. 8.55 percent) and Charleston, South Carolina (10.16 percent vs. 6.18 percent)."