In the first half of 2026, the average rent in first-tier cities increased slightly by 0.6%, but in third- and fourth-tier cities where rental demand is relatively weak, rents continue to be under pressure. Li Li (pseudonym), a landlord living in a third-tier city, decided not to rent out her 80-square-meter house after reducing the rent from 800 yuan/month to 450 yuan/month in 2012.