[Survey] Over ⅓ of Americans Aren’t Satisfied With Their Apartment Amenities

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It’s no secret that the rental market has changed over the past year. With millions of Americans migrating to new cities, the rental market has felt the effects of varying supply and demand throughout the pandemic.

The United States currently has 107 million tenants. With 34% of our population not tied to permanent housing, we wanted to know what apartment amenities might get tenants moving.

We surveyed over 3,000 Americans to find out what apartment amenities they really look for. Read on to find out what amenities Americans would be most willing to trade in and what amenities they want the most. or go to the infographic by clicking here.

Over ⅓ of Americans want better apartment amenities

When it comes to their homes, many Americans are not happy with the amenities in their current living space. Of those surveyed, we were surprised to find that over ⅓ of Americans admitted that they wanted better apartment amenities.

The main equipment Americans would like to have include:

More storage space: 31%
A dishwasher: 16%
Fast and reliable Wi-Fi: 16%
Car park: 15%
Central heating / air conditioning: 11%
Integrated washer / dryer: 11%

Almost ⅓ of dissatisfied tenants would like to have more storage space

Of those who weren’t happy with their apartment’s amenities, the top item on their wishlist was storage space, with 31% storage as their most wanted item of equipment. While the storage space was the best tenants wanted, it was also the amenity tenants who already had it were the most willing to swap.

Additionally, 16% of respondents prioritized the dishwasher as their most wanted equipment – women being twice as likely to prioritize the dishwasher than their male counterparts.

Fast internet connection is an essential part of the apartment

With 16% of respondents citing fast Wi-Fi as their most popular apartment features, Gen Z and Gen Y were 40% more likely to prioritize this equipment in their living situation than older generations. .

A to study found that nearly half (47%) of renters check their cell phone connectivity when visiting apartments, and over 90% say high-speed internet is important to them. With 42% of renters now planning to work remotely for at least the next year, it’s no surprise that demand for fast internet connectivity in rental housing is skyrocketing.

In contrast, the least popular amenities for apartments were parking (15%), a built-in washer / dryer (11%), and central heating / air conditioning (11%).

Americans are willing to pay for apartment amenities

We found that 38% of Americans would pay up to $ 100 or more for new housing, even in times of economic crisis. Men were more than twice as likely to be willing to pay more than $ 200 for a convenience.

The apartment feature that tenants in the largest cities in the United States were willing to pay the most for was a doorman, with a weighted average monthly price of $ 202 per month across New York, Los Angeles and Chicago.

With so many Americans dissatisfied with their current gear, we wanted to know what gear they already had that they liked the most.

Central heating and air conditioning are the most important amenities when looking for accommodation

Of the 43 million renters in the United States, approximately 48% have access to central heating and air conditioning. We found that among those who already have air conditioning, over 33% say heating and air conditioning was their most important feature of the apartment.

The amenities that tenants appreciate the most are:

Central heating / air conditioning: 33%
Washer / dryer in unit: 23%
Parking: 15%
Fast and reliable Wi-Fi: 13%
A dishwasher: 8%
More storage space: 7%

Renters in large cities pay an average monthly premium of $ 62 for a built-in washer and dryer

Almost 23% of renters said their washer and dryer were the most important to them. In the three largest US cities in terms of population (New York, Los Angeles and Chicago), tenants paid an average premium of $ 62 per month for unit laundry.

On the other hand, tenants were only willing to shell out an additional $ 34 per month for a parking spot. Notably, Los Angeles residents were only willing to pay an additional $ 5 for a secure place for their car.

Dishwashers and storage space are the most essential amenities

The main amenities tenants currently have but were willing to swap in were their dishwashers and storage space – among those surveyed, more than 90% of respondents admitted that their dishwasher and storage space were not very important to them.

So what does all of this mean for tenants? For more information on rental market trends, see our 2021 Rent Report.

Questions about the equipment to ask when renting an apartment

When considering amenities for apartments, it is important to know what you should be looking for. Here is a list of amenity questions to ask when renting an apartment.

Laundry room in unit

If you’re having trouble tagging a unit with a washer and dryer, consider using a portable washing machine for small items to extend the time between those dreaded laundry trips.

What to ask:

Is there a laundry room in the unit?
Otherwise, is the laundry free?

Heating and air conditioning

Even without central heating or air conditioning, you can keep your apartment temperate by blocking out the sun on hot days and increasing the airflow when it’s cool outside.

What to ask:

Are the equipment included in the rent?
What is the average monthly cost per tenant?

Fitness center

Find workout programs suitable for apartments and get basic equipment to create a home gym inside your apartment.

What to ask:

What are the hours of use of the fitness center?
How often is the fitness center cleaned?

Pet policies

If you are looking for an apartment that does not accept pets, consider creating a pet resume, offering to pay a deposit or rent a pet, take obedience training or subscribe to tenant insurance.

What to ask:

Are there any pet deposits or animal rentals?
Are animals allowed or do they accept them?

Internet speed

If your connection leaves a little to be desired, consider setting up your own home Wi-Fi network. While many apartments had only one choice of supplier, platforms like Google Fiber appear as an alternative.

What to ask:

Who is the internet service provider for this apartment?
Are the equipment included in the rent?

Car park

If your apartment doesn’t have a private parking space for you and you don’t want to risk parking on the street, consider looking in private parking lots or nearby garages.

What to ask:

Is the car park covered or uncovered?
Can you show me the walk from my parking lot to my apartment?

Storage room

If your apartment is running out of much-needed storage, take a look at these storage tips for small apartments before you jump in with a storage unit.

What to ask:

Do you offer additional storage options?
If so, how much does it cost and how far from my apartment is it?

The future of rental

Renters have long been a significant portion of U.S. households, and the events of 2021 have had an undeniable impact on the rental market. If you are one of the millions of Americans migrating due to COVID, use our resources to find the perfect home that meets your needs today.

Survey methodology

An online survey of 3,000 Americans was conducted for Apartment Guide using Google Surveys in February 2021.
Post-stratification weighting was applied to ensure an accurate and reliable representation of the total population.