A ‘Now Leasing’ sign hangs off an apartment building staircase in southeast Portland, Ore., on Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2021. Rents are starting to come down after spiking to record levels this past summer, but experts are uncertain if the slowdown will continue. The national median asking rent was up 14% in July 2022 over July the previous year. That’s the smallest annual increase since November 2021. Experts say the market could slow further toward the end of the year, but there’s still a lot of uncertainty. AP file photo