What renters want

For both renters and their Realtors®, finding an apartment with all of the right amenities can be a struggle.

The National Multifamily Housing Council recently released the results of their 2015 Renter Preferences Study, a follow-up to 2013’s study.

What amenity is most sought after by renters? For the second year in a row, high-speed Internet access nabbed first place, with 94 percent of respondents, an increase of 1 percent from 2013, interested in the feature. The average consumer expects to pay $35 for this amenity.

Parking is another much-desired feature. Renters expect to pay $32 for this amenity. Other amenities that are sought after include a walk-in closet, soundproof walls, a patio or balcony, washer/dryer in the unit and a microwave.

In regards to their neighborhood, most renters want a nearby grocery store. Seventy percent prefer to have one in walking distance, and 63 percent want one within a short drive. A neighborhood restaurant is also important to more than half of respondents, and proximity to work and public transit were also top vote getters.

A community presence on social media ranked low amongst respondents. Only 28 percent said it was important to engage on Facebook, the top choice, followed by 22 percent on a community blog.

To search for an apartment, nearly three-quarters of renters visited a listing site online, and 80 percent visited a specific community website. More than half of respondents said opinion sites had an impact on either their lease decision and/or stopped them from visiting an apartment.

The survey included responses from 119,266 residents at 3,280 communities.