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Boise, Idaho — Apartment rental rates in the Treasure Valley are going up.

Those are the findings of a recent survey done by a California research firm. Realfacts Inc. found the average cost of renting increased from last year in all 20 major western cities. They believe there’s one main reason for the rental spike.

Apartment complexes in Boise aren’t hard to come by, but what may be hard is finding a vacancy.

“A lot of times we have people on waiting lists for two to three months,” said Sonny Hart, the apartment manager for River Walk.

The now leasing sign hangs outside the River Walk apartment complex all year long, but Hart says he only has two units available right now.

“There are 75 units here, and usually we are 98 to 100 percent occupied all the time,” he said.

That high occupancy rate is the main reason rent for apartments in Boise has increased 3.7 percent over last year. A recently released survey found on average, tenants are paying $730 a month. At River Walk, their prices are right on par, between $550 and $975 depending on the unit.

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