This paper presents rent amounts paid before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic using 2015 – 2021 American Housing Survey (AHS) data. It illustrates the different experiences of units recently on the rental market and rental units whose longer-term tenants have kept them off the market. The breadth of content in the AHS, its longitudinal structure, and its longitudinal weights are used to examine the various forces affecting these two types of rental units, providing key insights into the different affordability challenges faced by renter households.