Takeaways:
- A dishwasher was the most searched amenity in Chicago, Los Angeles and D.C.
- Nationally, 47 percent of renters were seeking an apartment with parking.
- A pool was the No. 2 most searched for amenity in all three cities.
RadPad recently released data based on more than 40,000 filtered searches in June and July to find what millennial renters are really looking for in an apartment.
The mobile apartment search and online rent payment platform primarily focuses on the millennial generation with more than 80 percent of its renters under the age of 34.
The company sought to figure out what young renters are willing to pay for and if that is changing the way renters look for a place to live. RadPad looked at data on both a national and local level, looking closely at Washington, D.C., Chicago and Los Angeles.
Data showed that basic amenities like parking, washer and dryer, and a dishwasher are all very important, both on a national and local level.
Parking came in as a top desired amenity, with 47 percent of apartment seekers looking for it, followed by 32 percent wanting an in-unit washer and dryer, and 19 percent wanting a dishwasher.
However, in D.C., Chicago and Los Angeles, a dishwasher reigned as the most important amenity city by city.
In Los Angeles, the fourth most filtered amenity that renters look for is a refrigerator at 26 percent. Because a refrigerator is considered to be an amenity by California law instead of a necessity, unlike most states, renters have to specify in their search for one. A dishwasher was also ranked high on the list, with 61 percent of searches filtered for one.
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Renters in Los Angeles weren’t very concerned with having an in-unit washer and dryer, though, ranking in only 1 percent of apartment searches.
Chicago renters were surprisingly interested in having a pool, which came in as the No. 2 most searched amenity. A patio or balcony was also ranked much higher in Chicago than in Los Angeles or D.C., with 21 percent of apartment hunters looking for one. Perhaps it’s the sheer volume of apartments with patios, so getting one is fairly common.
Renters in Washington, D.C., were particularly interested in having a pool. It ranked as the No. 2 most searched amenity, with 43 percent of renters looking for one. D.C. renters were also interested in having stainless steel appliances.
A national trend reported was renters looking for a place with a gym. Fourteen percent of apartment hunters were seeking one in the nation, but only 3 percent of Los Angeles renters wanted one.
