flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

221,000 renters identify what they want in multifamily housing, post-Covid-19

Multifamily Housing

221,000 renters identify what they want in multifamily housing, post-Covid-19

Fresh data from the 2022 NMHC/Grace Hill Renter Preferences Survey shows how remote work is impacting renters' wants and needs in apartment developments.


By Sarah Yaussi, VP, Business Strategy, National Multifamily Housing Council | March 4, 2022
221,000 renters identify what they want in multifamily housing, post-Covid-19
A growing number of multifamily developers and owners are opting to offer high-speed, community-wide Wi-Fi as part of the properties’ amenity package. For example, AvalonBay Communities’ Kanso Twinbrook, in Rockville, Md., partners with WhiteSky to offer seamless, secure, and instant high-speed Wi-Fi internet connectivity throughout the entire community. Residents can move in and log on—no equipment or installation appointments required. Photo courtesy NMHC

Remote work is not only here to stay but is shaping the modern renter’s wants and needs while influencing design decisions and building plans across the industry.

New data from the 2022 National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC)/Grace Hill Renter Preferences Survey Report, which features insights from more than 221,000 renters living in 4,564 communities across the U.S., shows that a rise in remote work was a driving force among renters who relocated during the pandemic. Of the 60 percent of survey respondents who moved during the past 18 months, 25 percent moved as a result of the shift to remote work.

Like many, renters are teleworking with higher frequency than ever before. Nationally, the share of respondents who are teleworking daily is roughly five times higher than it was two years ago. And many aren’t counting on that changing. Of those who currently telework (with any frequency), 64 percent anticipate working from home about the same amount over the next 12 months and 9 percent anticipate working from home more. In contrast, 27 percent said they anticipate working from home less over the coming year.

Curb-to-couch connectivity in multifamily housing 

Renters have long demanded seamless connectivity, from curb to couch and everywhere in between, but this need has become critical as telecom and internet technology have become a lifeline to their livelihoods.

Respondents ranked reliable cell phone service as the No. 1 community amenity, with 86 percent of survey respondents indicating interest. Renters are even more serious about their internet connectivity in their units, with nine out of 10 respondents saying they were interested in or wouldn’t rent their home without it. An environment conducive to work also needs to be quiet and private, leading to strong interest in soundproof walls with 90 percent of renter respondents saying they are interested or won’t rent without this amenity.

As such, some communities are opting to offer high-speed, community-wide Wi-Fi as part of the properties’ amenity package. For example, AvalonBay Communities’ Kanso Twinbrook, in Rockville, Md., partners with WhiteSky to offer seamless, secure and instant high-speed Wi-Fi internet connectivity throughout the entire community. Residents can move in and log on—no equipment or installation appointments required.

AMLI 808 in Chicago offers downtown living with a plethora of work-from-home amenities, including an on-site podcast studio and a DIY studio for makers and builders.
AMLI 808 in Chicago offers downtown living with a plethora of work-from-home amenities, including an on-site podcast studio and a DIY studio for makers and builders. Photo courtesy NMHC

 

Home offices and shared meeting spaces have also become in-demand features. While 19 percent of renter respondents said they would consider using a co-working facility when teleworking, such as WeWork or SPACES, a greater share of respondents (35 percent) indicated interest in using a shared workspace at their communities.

Not only are these amenities sought after, but renters are willing to pay an additional monthly premium for them. Of those interested, the average survey respondent is willing to pay $47.93 more per month for high-speed internet, $42.78 for reliable cell phone service, and $46.21 for soundproof walls. And for a convenient onsite alternative to work from home, interested renters are willing to shell out $36.60 more on average for an on-site rentable co-working space.

Recognizing this, some developers are making significant investments in their co-working amenities by repositioning common areas as co-working space, adding charging and print stations and even introducing more specialized equipment. For example, AMLI 808 in Chicago offers downtown living with a plethora of work-from-home amenities, including an on-site podcast studio and a DIY studio for makers and builders.

Flexibility becomes a key feature in apartment design 

With the lines blurred between work and home, renters are increasingly looking for flexibility in their homes to accommodate these shifting needs. Versatility rules as nearly two-thirds of survey respondents said that flexible space in their homes was either important or extremely important. Adaptable floorplans that can adjust to a variety of needs and options for furnished or unfurnished units are among the features these live-work-play from home renters desire.

As an example, AMLI 808 also features Ori studio suites. Choreographing movement into apartment homes, this modular furniture system creates a private bedroom, an open living room, work from home space, storage and more—all at the touch of a button.

AMLI808OriStudiogif.gif
AMLI 808 in Chicago also features the Ori modular furniture system. 

However, flex living isn't limited to just physical space. As remote work gives more renters the freedom to move about, they are considering alternatives to the traditional leasing model. For example, 56 percent of those who moved because of a switch to remote work said they would consider joining a rental housing membership program similar to a vacation club. That same group also indicated more interest than their non-mover counterparts in having the ability to list their rental homes on short-term rental sites like Airbnb or VRBO.

The pandemic has certainly changed the way we work; owners, developers and architects who recognize this new paradigm and respond with creative solutions will keep renters satisfied and the industry moving forward.

About the survey: Since its inception in 2013, the NMHC/Grace Hill Renter Preferences Survey Report has been the authoritative data source for apartment owners, managers, developers, industry suppliers, as well as architects, financial institutions and others seeking insights into the minds of renters. This biennial survey of residents at institutional-grade properties provides users with reliable data to make a variety of investment, development and operational decisions. Survey partners featured NMHC 50 companies including Greystar, AMLI Residential, and Windsor Communities. 

Related Stories

Multifamily Housing | May 1, 2023

Survey of apartment residents shows support for property-provided smart home devices for security, energy savings

Multifamily housing residents receive broadband services faster if they are provided by the property management rather than acquiring such service on their own.

Multifamily Housing | May 1, 2023

A prefab multifamily housing project will deliver 200 new apartments near downtown Denver

In Denver, Mortenson, a Colorado-based builder, developer, and engineering services provider, along with joint venture partner Pinnacle Partners, has broken ground on Revival on Platte, a multifamily housing project. The 234,156-sf development will feature 200 studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom apartments on eight floors, with two levels of parking.

Codes and Standards | May 1, 2023

Hurricane Ian aftermath expected to prompt building code reform in Florida

Hurricane Ian struck the Southwest Florida coastline last fall with winds exceeding 150 mph, flooding cities, and devastating structures across the state. A construction risk management expert believes the projected economic damage, as high as $75 billion, will prompt the state to beef up building codes and reform land use rules. 

| Apr 28, 2023

$1 billion mixed-use multifamily development will add 1,200 units to South Florida market

A giant $1 billion residential project, The District in Davie, will bring 1.6 million sf of new Class A residential apartments to the hot South Florida market. Located near Ft. Lauderdale and greater Miami, the development will include 36,000 sf of restaurants and retail space. The development will also provide 1.1 million sf of access controlled onsite parking with 2,650 parking spaces. 

Mixed-Use | Apr 27, 2023

New Jersey turns a brownfield site into Steel Tech, a 3.3-acre mixed-use development

In Jersey City, N.J., a 3.3-acre redevelopment project called Steel Tech will turn a brownfield site into a mixed-use residential high-rise building, a community center, two public plazas, and a business incubator facility. Steel Tech received site plan approval in recent weeks.

Multifamily Housing | Apr 27, 2023

Watch: Specifying materials in multifamily housing projects

A trio of multifamily housing experts discusses trends in materials in their latest developments. Topics include the need to balance aesthetics and durability, the advantages of textured materials, and the benefits of biophilia.

Concrete Technology | Apr 24, 2023

A housing complex outside Paris is touted as the world’s first fully recycled concrete building

Outside Paris, Holcim, a Swiss-based provider of innovative and sustainable building solutions, and Seqens, a social housing provider in France, are partnering to build Recygénie—a 220-unit housing complex, including 70 social housing units. Holcim is calling the project the world’s first fully recycled concrete building.

Multifamily Housing | Apr 21, 2023

Arlington County, Va., eliminates single-family-only zoning

Arlington County, a Washington, D.C., community that took shape in the 1950s, when single-family homes were the rule in suburbia, recently became one of the first locations on the East Coast to eliminate single-family-only zoning.

Green | Apr 21, 2023

Top 10 green building projects for 2023

The Harvard University Science and Engineering Complex in Boston and the Westwood Hills Nature Center in St. Louis are among the AIA COTE Top Ten Awards honorees for 2023. 

Multifamily Housing | Apr 20, 2023

A solution for sharing solar energy with multifamily tenants

Allume Energy’s SolShare sees lower-income renters as its primary beneficiaries.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category




halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021