Multifamily renters prioritize features and amenities that reflect a mobile, connected lifestyle, according to the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) and Grace Hill 2024 Renter Preferences Survey.
Tenants have a strong interest in shared workspaces, with respondent interest growing from 35% in the previous survey to nearly half of respondents (48%) today. Some 86% of respondents said high-speed internet is either very important or absolutely essential.
The return-to-the-office trend is evident in the number of those working remotely—the share fell from 62% in the 2022 report to 52% in the newest report. But the fact that a majority of respondents still reported working remotely shows that working from home is likely a lasting movement.
Only 4% of renters drive a fully electric or hybrid plug-in vehicle, but triple that amount (12%) said they are planning for their next vehicle to be electric, and 35% are considering it. Charging infrastructure for electric vehicles is lacking, overall, the survey found. Only one-quarter of the existing electric or hybrid plug-in owners said they were at least somewhat satisfied with on-site charging options. The largest group of respondents (34%) reported their communities did not have any chargers.
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