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What Renters Want: Voice-Activated Technologies and Pet Amenities
Voice-activated technologies and pet amenities are among the hot topics concerning renters, according to the 2020 National Multifamily Housing Council/Kingsley Apartment Resident Preferences Report. The just-released report takes its information from a survey of nearly 373,000 apartment renters, living in 5,336 communities across the United States. The report presents features and amenities that are in demand, how much renters are willing to pay for them, and what matters during the apartment search.
Specifically:
- Pet amenities. More than one-third of the respondents were pet owners; the dog owners, in turn, said they expected to pay between $28-$34 more, per feature, per month, for a community dog park, pet-washing station of on-site pet services.
- Voice-activated technology. Forty-three percent of respondents said they were interested in, or would not rent without, voice-activated virtual assistants. More than a third said they already owned such devices. Furthermore, 44% of residents won’t rent without reliable phone reception.
Meanwhile, other rental trends were not as appealing:
- Co-working. Interestingly enough, while 42% of survey respondents indicated they telecommuted at least part of the time, just 15% indicated they either had, or would use a co-working space. Meanwhile, 55% said they were interested in an on-site business center.
- Co-living. Apartment residents remain skeptical about this trend, with 69% indicating they wouldn’t be interested in this type of arrangement.
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