[1980phipsi]

But there are good reasons for CPI to measure all leases and not just new leases. It depends on what your goal is of your measurement. If your goal is to measure the prices of a basket of goods representative of what urban consumers are spending money on, then measuring the prices of all leases is better than new leases.

I would agree that a good forecast of inflation would incorporate what is happening with leases now, but I would disagree that this means anything for "true inflation".

[BobbyJo]

I think most people see inflation as the change in cost to transact today vs some previous moment, as opposed to the change in broader prices paid, since a majority of the items normally talked about in the media are perishable/consumables like food and energy.