What renters in the Philly region look for in an apartment

As developers continue to build new apartment communities throughout the Philadelphia region and decide which amenities to include, a national survey shows that renters are willing to pay more for features such as in-unit washers and dryers, air-conditioning, soundproof walls, high-speed internet access, and walk-in closets.

The National Multifamily Housing Council, which advocates on behalf of the apartment industry, and Grace Hill, a tech company serving property owners and operators, surveyed more than 221,000 renters nationally about what they needed or wanted from their apartments and how much they would be willing to pay for amenities.

Preferences among renters in the Philadelphia metropolitan area — which includes Camden and Wilmington — largely align with those of renters nationwide, according to survey results that the organizations released last month.

Thanks to the pandemic, “what we’ve seen overall are renters reporting a great desire for more space, better amenities, and in-home creature comforts,” Sarah Yaussi, vice president of business strategy at the National Multifamily Housing Council, said in a statement.

Most of the roughly 1,500 tenants living in Philadelphia and surrounding counties who responded to the survey were between the ages of 25 and 44. Twenty percent of respondents had household income ranging from $50,001 to $75,000, 22% bring in $75,001 to $100,000, and another 20% have household income of $100,001 to $150,000. Area median income is $94,500 for a family of four and $75,600 for a household of two.

Renters in the Philadelphia metropolitan area were most interested in washers and dryers in their units, air-conditioning, soundproof walls, and high-speed internet access. More than 90% of those surveyed said they wanted or needed these features.

Renters also wanted dishwashers, microwaves, walk-in closets, garbage disposals, and preinstalled window blinds or shades.

Renters who wanted air-conditioning said they’d be willing to pay $57 a month more to get it. They’d pay $56 more for in-unit washers and dryers and $47 more for dishwashers, patios or balconies, or high-speed internet access.

Here’s how much more in monthly rent tenants said they’d pay for:

In apartment communities, reliable cellphone reception was important to most of the Philadelphia-area renters surveyed. Most also wanted nonsmoking buildings, secure package lockers or rooms, and secured property access, followed by property-wide recycling and fitness centers.

Few were interested in their communities offering amenities such as car or bike sharing and co-working space.

Renters would be willing to pay the most in extra rent for a child-care center in their apartment community. They would shell out $51 more a month for access to this amenity. They’d pay $48 more for nonsmoking buildings and $43 more for reliable cellphone reception.

Here’s how much more in monthly rent tenants said they’d pay for: