Tech bros, hold onto your keyboards: the AI rental apocalypse might be more fiction than fact.

While sensationalist headlines scream about skyrocketing rents driven by AI workers, the data tells a different story. Rental sites are painting a surprisingly nuanced picture of San Francisco’s housing market that’s less “Silicon Valley takeover” and more “gradual return to normal”.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

Zillow’s data reveals a modest 4% rent increase since the pandemic’s start - hardly the dramatic surge being whispered about in tech circles. Compare that to New York’s whopping 29% jump, and San Francisco starts looking like a rental bargain.

The AI Factor

Return-to-office mandates and the AI industry’s growth are nudging rental prices, but not explosively. Different platforms show varying estimates: Apartment List suggests an 11% increase, while Zillow remains conservative at just over 3%.

The Media Hype Machine

Economists suggest that news sentiment itself might be driving perceived price increases. “If everybody believes rental prices are going up, they probably will,” notes one researcher. It’s essentially a collective real estate hallucination powered by breathless tech reporting.

Bottom line? San Francisco’s rental market is recovering, not revolutionizing. Don’t believe the hype - check multiple sources and keep your wallet calm.