Writing a rent check became more painful for San Antonio residents last year, especially for those living in entry-level apartment complexes.

Apartments in the local metro area had an average monthly rent of $1.10 a square foot, or $803 a month for a one-bedroom, in the fourth quarter of last year, according to a report from Austin Investor Interests, a firm that researches the local multifamily housing market. That’s up 3.1 percent from 2015 and 8.9 percent from 2014.

The cost of renting an entry-level apartment, also known as a Class C apartment, rose by 3.7 percent to $0.98 a square foot, the report says. In recent years, investors have bought and fixed up entry-level complexes in order to raise rents. Developers also aren’t building many of the complexes, which is driving up rents, said Mark Diebold, who analyzes the local market for Marcus & Millichap.

By comparison, the average rent for a midlevel apartment increased 1.1 percent, to $1.15 a square foot, and for a high-end apartment by 3.1 percent, to $1.26 a square foot.

“There is a significant need for lower-priced rents for more blue-collar and working-class areas” in San Antonio, he said.

Diebold predicted that rents would grow at about the same rate this year as the supply of entry-level apartments remains stagnant.

Apartment construction was down 7.8 percent in 2016 compared with the year before; 5,547 units were added in the local metro area, contributing to a total of 155,043 units. But construction was still robust historically, especially in downtown and on the far West Side. In the years before and after the recession, the market often added between 1,000 and 3,500 units a year.

The Austin Investor Interests report excludes apartments that are part of government programs such as tax credits or rent limits.

The influx of new units didn’t cause much disruption in the local market, according to the report. The average occupancy rate in the San Antonio metro area remained about the same at 92 percent.

“Austin is the roller coaster, and San Antonio is always the steady performer. There’s not a threat of overbuilding,” Diebold said.

The report predicts the local market will add 7,003 units this year, which would be a 26.2 percent increase from last year. Nearly 11,000 units are currently under construction, and at least another 10,000 are in other stages of development, the report says.

But the report notes that fewer multifamily developers filed for building permits in the fourth quarter, which could indicate a drop-off in new construction.

“The current political climate may have an effect on future construction in terms of financing and labor,” the report says. “Whether that effect will be positive or negative is unknown.”

The downtown-area apartment market had a big year in 2016, with 846 units added — a big jump from 2015, when 464 units were created, and 2014, with 64 units. Some major apartment complexes came to life last year, including the Rivera Luxury Apartments on Broadway and the Flats at Big Tex in Southtown.

The average rent for a one-bedroom downtown apartment dropped by 1.8 percent last year, to $1,148 a month. The large number of new units coming onto the market might have driven rents down, Diebold said.

The far West Side, which includes the fast-growing Alamo Ranch master-planned community, added 1,378 apartment units last year, more than any other part of the city and 11 percent above the 1,238 units created there in 2015, according to the report. Single-family construction is also soaring in that part of town.

The far Northwest Side, which includes the booming intersection of Loop 1604 and Interstate 10, also sprouted a lot of new apartments last year, with 711 units added.

The report noted that investors are becoming increasingly interested in the San Antonio market. Seventy-nine local apartment properties were sold last year, an 11 percent increase from 2015. Investors have said they’re attracted to San Antonio’s growing economy and relatively stable housing market.

Rents soared in some parts of San Antonio last year, such as the region north of downtown but south of Loop 410, which includes the Pearl and neighborhoods such as Monte Vista. The average rent for a one-bedroom rose by 17.5 percent there, to $786 a month. The Pearl has created a surge in luxury apartments: the 10-story Cellars at Pearl on the River Walk is expected to open this year.

Rents went up 8.2 percent last year, to $687 a month, on the South Side, where new apartments have been built near Brooks City Base. On the near West Side, one-bedroom rents increased by 8.5 percent, to $563 a month; and on the near East Side, they rose by 7.4 percent, to $569 a month.

rwebner@express-news.net

@rwebner