You've likely experienced major increases in rent. That rent inflation will almost certainly continue to rise. April rents increased 16.7% nationwide from a year earlier. Property taxes and property insurance have skyrocketed with inflation making it impossible not increase rents to help pay for the additional costs of providing housing. Another even more impactful factor is as mortgage interest rates rise, fewer people are able to purchase a home and are thus having to rent instead. New rental home and apartment construction came to a virtual standstill during Covid, but the demand for rental homes and apartments increased. As a result some people looking for a place to rent are offering to pay more than the advertised rent to be able to live in the specific area they want or need to be. Of course this imbalance will not last forever and rents will normalize as new construction catches up. Until then it may require you live a bit farther out of town than you hoped, and it's best to lock in a lease to keep your rent from frequently increasing if you currently only on a month-to-month basis.