Landlords adjust their rental prices for supply and demand and how occupancy percentages stack up. A case in point was in New York City over the last three years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Then vacancy was low, allowing landlords to push up rents, which now are stabilizing or dropping a bit.

But there's another factor that influences lease prices: Rents fluctuate by season, reflecting such variables as moving company schedules and prices, weather and the challenges it brings, school-age children's calendars and job markets, according to Apartment List.

These fluctuations may vary dramatically by city. In Chicago, it's known that rents often peak in the fall, then go down in early spring, making that a good incentive for renters to wait to sign on the dotted line. In Texas because of very hot summers, searches for moving may be spaced more throughout the year, according to MoveMatcher.