Columbus, OH rental market report

The investor's view of Columbus: official FY2025 rents for the Columbus, OH HUD Metro FMR Area, and what a standard 3-bedroom rental actually pencils at across price points — every figure computed by the same deterministic engine behind the analyzer.

FY2025 rent benchmarks (HUD Fair Market Rents)

Studio1 BR2 BR3 BR4 BR
$1,104/mo$1,194/mo$1,445/mo$1,741/mo$1,939/mo

Source: U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development, FY2025. FMRs sit at the 40th percentile — treat them as floor benchmarks; renovated or well-located units often rent above.

What pencils in Columbus: 3BR buy-and-hold scenarios

Underwritten at the metro's $1,741/mo 3BR benchmark with 20% down, 7% interest, and a full operating-expense load (taxes, insurance, vacancy, maintenance, management):

Purchase priceMonthly cash flowDSCRCash-on-cashVerdict
$225,000-$383/mo0.68-8.9%NEGOTIATE
$260,000-$606/mo0.56-12.2%PASS
$295,000-$828/mo0.47-14.7%PASS

Read: at FY2025 benchmark rents, standard-financing buy-and-hold is challenging at these price points in Columbus — deals here need discounts, higher-rent units, or a different strategy (rent-by-room often changes the math entirely). Illustrative scenarios, not offers of advice — every real deal needs its own underwriting.

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