Once upon a time, apartment housing was considered to be the option of last resort, the place where renters would go while they awaited out the time when they could buy homes. But that isn’t the case these days. A survey recently released by the National Multifamily Housing Council and Kingsley Associates noted that nearly a quarter of the 272,000 apartment residents surveyed indicated that renting offers them convenience and flexibility.

Additionally, the second-most cited reason for moving to a new apartment complex was better management (the first reason, perhaps unsurprisingly, was lower rent). Rick Haughey, who is vice president of industry technology initiatives at the NMHC, also indicated that short-term rentals are important to younger renters, with online reviews making a definite impact. Package lockers were also important among those surveyed, as nearly half of the respondents indicated they receive at least three packages a month.

Also topping out the list in terms of wanted apartment features were air conditioning, high-speed internet access, soundproof walls, in-unit washers and dryers and dishwashers.

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