Apartment Amenities: What Renters Want

More than one-third of renters report they are dissatisfied with the amenities in the current apartment.

However, they are not looking for flashy features, like a heated pool or a fancy CrossFit gym. All of the extra time at home in 2020 has led them to wanting a more comfortable lifestyle, a recent Apartment Guide survey of more than 3,000 people found.

With 34% of Americans renting, they do have the luxury of an easier move to a new property to access wanted features. The top feature renters want more of is storage space, said 31%. Sixteen percent said dishwashers, which was another popular most-wanted feature, especially among women, while another 16% said faster Wi-Fi, which is not surprising given how many more people are working remotely. Fifteen percent said parking, while other wanted popular amenities included central heat/air conditioning (11%) and in-unit laundry (11%).

Yet, people said they are willing to pay extra for a new living amenity, despite the challenging economic times the pandemic has brought. Nearly 40% of respondents said they would pay $100 or more for a new feature, with men twice as likely to be willing to pay $200 and up for one.

Renters also ranked their favorite current amenity their living space offers. Central heating and air conditioning was top at 33%, followed by in-unit washer and dryer at 23% and parking at 15%. Fast Wi-Fi (13%), a dishwasher (8%) and storage space (7%) were not as popular. Not surprisingly, considering more than 90% of respondents said that their dishwasher and storage spaces were not important to them.