Which Amenities Matter Most to Renters?

When renters search for their next apartment, the amenities available at the community or unit level can make or break their decision. In a recent Apartments.com survey conducted in late 2023, we asked nearly 20,000 renters across the country which amenities they consider essential.

From comfort and convenience to safety and health, these are the amenities that made the cut. And while specific features came out top among all renters, some key differences in preferences emerged by age and gender.

Which amenities are preferred overall?

Looking at renters across the board, five amenities emerged as the most common features renters consider non-negotiable. These top five rankings have remained the same since our last renter survey conducted in May of 2023.

1. In-unit laundry

There’s nothing like the convenience of throwing in a load of laundry while watching a movie at home. The presence of an in-unit washer and dryer is a key feature renters look for when evaluating their next potential home.

By far the most popular amenity, in-unit laundry was essential to 75 percent of survey respondents. When broken down by demographic groups, in-unit laundry came in #1 for men, women, and renters of all ages — except for those 65 and up, for whom it was outranked only by only air conditioning.

2. Air conditioning

Nearly 70 percent of renters marked A/C as essential. For renters ages 65 and up, this feature is an even higher priority: 76 percent of respondents in this age group selected it as a must-have.

Renters in Arizona, Colorado, North Dakota, the District of Columbia, and Illinois are the most likely to include A/C as a requirement in their search, based on an analysis of Apartments.com search data from 2022 and 2023. The states with the lowest renter demand for A/C were Montana, New Hampshire, Delaware, Mississippi, and Oklahoma.

3. Dishwasher

At 46 percent, nearly half of renters consider a dishwasher to be indispensable. This common kitchen appliance offers convenience and efficiency.

But just how much does having a dishwasher matter to renters? That differs by age, with the youngest and oldest renters valuing it the most.

Half of renters 18 to 24 marked it as a must-have, and just under 50 percent in the 25-to-34 age bracket did so. But among renters ages 35 to 44, only four in 10 considered a dishwasher to be essential. But demand for dishwashers begins to creep up again among senior renters, with 45 percent of renters ages 65 and up marking it as mandatory.

4. Private outdoor space

Coming in a close fourth spot after dishwashers, private outdoor space is a priority for almost half of renters. For 45 percent of renters, having access to their own balcony, patio, or other private outdoor space is non-negotiable, with women and ages 35+ expressing the greatest preference for this amenity.

5. Pet-friendly policy or features

Does the community have a pet-friendly policy or offer pet-friendly features, like a dog park or pet spa? Over 41 percent of renters considered it essential to live somewhere with a pet-friendly policy or features.

Interestingly, only 27 percent of respondents in the survey said they currently live with a pet, so it’s possible the difference accounts for renters who are looking to have a pet in the future or want to host friends and family members who have a four-legged companion.

The survey also revealed what kinds of animals pet owners have:

• 57% have a dog
• 53% have a cat
• 3% have a fish
• 3% have a reptile or amphibian
• 3% have a small mammal, such as a rabbit or hamster
• 1% have a bird

Which amenities do younger renters prefer?

For renters ages 18 through 24, off-street parking was a priority, moving up to the #5 spot, while the need for indoor private space, such as a patio or balcony, dropped out of the top five.

The top five for this age group: (1) in-unit laundry (75 percent), air conditioning (66 percent), dishwasher (49 percent), pet-friendly policy or features (41 percent), and off-street parking (38 percent). 

Which amenities do older renters prefer?

For older renters, air conditioning is an increasing priority, capturing 76 percent of those ages 55 and up. This is a notably higher share than among renters as a whole, for whom A/C is essential to one in seven renters.

Off-street parking is also a top consideration, with nearly half of renters ages 55 and up selecting it as an essential. In addition to convenience, this may reflect a need for safety and security.

Overall, among renters ages 55 and up, the top amenities were: (1) air conditioning (76 percent), (2) in-unit laundry (75 percent), (3) balcony, patio, or private outdoor space (57 percent), (4) off-street parking (48 percent), and (5) dishwasher (43 percent).

But breaking this group down further revealed some key differences. Among renters ages 55 to 64, pet-friendly policies were essential to 44 percent. Among those ages 65 and up, this priority slipped down 4 percentage points, falling out of the top five entirely.

The oldest group in the survey, ages 65 and up, prioritized having a dishwasher higher than any other group above age 35. Over 44 percent of senior respondents indicated that a dishwasher was an essential, several points higher than adults between 34 and 54, but a lower share than the youngest renters ages 18 through 34.

Which amenities do women prefer?

Women are more likely to search for an apartment than men, and this skew was reflected in the survey’s participants as well. Well over half of survey respondents — 65 percent — self-identified as female, compared to just under a third as male.

So, when it comes to amenities, how do women’s preferences compare to those of men?

Women are much more likely to look for an apartment with a pet-friendly policy (45 percent of women compared to 32 percent among men). Not surprisingly, women are also more likely to live with a pet — 30 percent vs. only 18 percent for men.

Female renters are also significantly more likely to prioritize a balcony, patio, or private outdoor space. Nearly half of women in the survey, 48 percent, selected this amenity as essential, compared to only 40 percent of men.

Although the difference was far smaller, women were slightly more likely to consider smart locks for entry to be an essential, at 16 percent compared to men’s 14 percent.

The top five amenities for women renters in the survey followed the same ranking as the population overall, with pet-friendly policies slightly outranking dishwashers for fourth place: (1) in-unit laundry (77 percent), air conditioning (69 percent), balcony, patio, or private outdoor space (48 percent), pet-friendly policy or features (45 percent), and dishwasher (45 percent).

Which amenities do men prefer?

Male renters make up only 30 percent of respondents in the survey, reflecting the facts that women make up a larger share of renters generally and are also more likely to drive the rental search and application process when searching with a male partner.

Amenity preferences for men followed most of the same rankings, with several key differences.

Men are significantly more likely to prioritize off-street parking. This amenity came in fourth among male renters with 42 percent of respondents, while at 38 percent it didn’t even break the top five for women.

Male renters are also more interested in electric vehicle charging stations. This amenity, while considered an essential to only 4 percent of men, saw more than double the interest among men than among women in the survey (2 percent).

Fitness was another area where male/female preferences saw a divide. More than a quarter of men (27 percent) marked a fitness center as an essential, compared to only 17 percent of women, and nearly three times as many men as women said they couldn’t live without a sports court (6 percent).

The top five ranking amenities for men saw some key differences from the general population. Pet-friendly policies fell out of the top five, having a dishwasher jumped to #3, and off-street parking appeared in the #4 spot: (1) in-unit laundry (71 percent), (2) air conditioning (70 percent), dishwasher (46 percent), off-street parking (38 percent), and balcony, patio, or private outdoor space (48 percent).

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