While tenants most of all want a rent they can comfortably afford, there are other considerations that are a dealbreaker for many.
Ninety-two percent of renters across the country would not lease a home without air conditioning, according to the 2017 National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC)/Kingsley Renter Preferences Report. That number rises to 98 percent in the hot and humid Washington region.
The report, based on responses from more than 270,000 renters, found that many tenants also say they won’t lease a place without high-speed Internet access (63 percent), soundproof walls (53 percent), a washer and dryer in the unit (77 percent), or a dishwasher (86 percent).
In the Washington region, more renters (71 percent) won’t lease a home without high-speed Internet access or an in-unit washer and dryer (88 percent).
Renters in the Washington region are closely aligned with their counterparts around the country when it comes to community amenities that are must-haves. These include: reliable cellphone reception (78 percent won’t rent without it), secure resident parking (71 percent), secure amenity access (49 percent), a swimming pool (60 percent) and a fitness center (55 percent).
Some new considerations for renters include package storage, now that so many goods are ordered online. The survey found that 57 percent of renters are highly interested or interested in package lockers.
On the issue of short-term rentals, there is a generational divide. Almost half (49 percent) of renters younger than 25 are interested in the option of generating income through short-term rentals, compared with 15 percent of renters 65 and older.
For more information about the survey, click here.
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