Key Details:
- New Zillow research reveals rental features that get more saves and shares on Zillow Rentals. Today’s renters are showing a preference for rental listings that mention pet areas, happy hours for tenants, air purification and coworking spaces.
- Rentals mentioning luxury features like swimming pools and fitness centers are getting fewer saves and shares.
- The features getting the most saves and shares for rental listings are (still) in-unit laundry and off-street parking
Renters are rethinking their must-haves when shopping for a new home. Rentals with in-unit laundry and off-street parking are still in high demand. But once those are checked off, today’s renter is much less impressed by swimming pools, fitness rooms, and business centers.
In fact, rentals with these perks are getting fewer saves and shares compared to similar listings on Zillow Rentals:
- Business centers get listings 24% fewer daily saves and 27% fewer daily shares
- Fitness rooms contribute to 26% fewer daily saves and 31% fewer daily shares.
- Listings with swimming pools get 10% fewer daily saves and 13% fewer daily shares.
Don’t get us wrong—swimming pools are great. But if you live in a place like Minnesota, an outdoor pool is off limits for most of the year, anyway (ours is open from May through August).
As for a fitness center, points for not having to drive anywhere to break a sweat. But a room with exercise equipment doesn’t provide the accountability you get with some gym memberships.
Daily saves and shares are a sign of demand, since renters who save a listing or share it with someone else are more serious about including it in their shortlist—and therefore more likely to rent it. The more saves and shares a listing gets, the more quickly it tends to fill.
Renters are spending more money and more time in the rental market than ever before, making them more intentional about the spaces they choose. They are prioritizing practical amenities while also seeking community-focused perks like coworking spaces and social events. These features offer a balance of convenience and lifestyle enhancement, making renters more willing to invest in homes that cater to both their everyday needs and social lives.
Preferred features for renters in 2024
Based on a Zillow® analysis of nearly 5.6 million rental listings—including apartment buildings and single-family homes—visitors to Zillow Rentals are showing a distinct preference for properties that mention the following features:
- Pet areas—A pet-friendly patch of turf (even better if there’s a supply of baggies nearby for collecting and disposing of pet deposits). Rental units mentioning this feature received 76% more daily saves and 91% more daily shares, on average.
- Air filtration—Post-COVID, more renters are prioritizing air filtration to eliminate (as much as possible) airborne viruses and bacteria, as well as allergens and irritants, like the smoke from recent wildfires. Rental units with this feature are getting 72% more saves and 79% more shares per day.
- Happy hours—Renters look with a friendly eye on listings that prioritize communal spaces and social activities for tenants. Rentals with this perk are getting 50% more shares and 67% more saves per day compared to similar listings without.
- Coworking spaces—In place of business centers, renters are more likely to save and share listings with coworking spaces with work-friendly amenities. Rentals with this feature are getting 16% more saves and 23% more shares per day.
Meanwhile, the most in-demand amenities have an even bigger impact on saves and shares, compared to similar listings without them:
- Off-street parking contributes to 85% more daily saves and 103% more daily shares.
- In-unit laundry attracts 76% more daily saves and 92% more daily shares.
Other perks that attract more saves and shares:
- Finished basement: 72% more daily saves, 112% more daily shares
- Butcher block (countertops): 58% more daily saves, 69% more daily shares
- Barn door: 56% more daily saves, 72% more daily shares
- Reserved parking: 52% more daily saves, 51% more daily shares
- Modern farmhouse: 51% more daily saves, 61% more daily shares
Renters today who are looking at higher-end rentals may expect a suite of amenities. Some features, such as a fitness center, don’t stand on their own, but are most often paired with other desirable amenities, such as a playground, or a tennis or sport court. Every renter will have their own priorities so it’s important for a property manager or landlord to list everything a unit has to offer.
