A survey of renters by online apartment-search site Apartments.com found that 43.6 percent of respondents choose to rent primary because they prefer “maintenance-free living,” according to a company announcement.
Meanwhile, 23.6 percent of renters responding to the survey said they choose to rent primarily because it’s less expensive than homeownership, and 19.4 percent cited the flexibility to relocate as their primary reason to rent.
About 5.1 percent said apartment amenities were a primary reason to rent, 1.7 percent said the community living and social activities at apartments are a primary driver to rent, and 6.5 percent cited other reasons why they prefer renting.
The Apartments.com survey was conducted from Oct. 5 to Nov. 9 and collected 1,089 responses, according to the announcement.
Also, the survey found that 54.3 percent of respondents were most thankful for online resources in searching for their current apartment, while 16 percent favored word-of-mouth sources.
About 12 percent said they were most thankful for local newspapers in their searches, 8.9 percent said print magazines such as apartment guides, 2.8 percent said they were most thankful for a locator service, and 6.1 percent favored other sources.
Asked which feature of their current apartment they were most thankful for, 29.8 percent of respondents said a washer and dryer in the unit; 21.9 percent said air conditioning; 13.5 percent said balcony, deck, patio or porch; 6.1 percent said dishwasher, 3.6 percent said high-speed Internet, and 25.2 cited an assortment of other features.
About 31.5 percent of respondents said they are most thankful that their current apartment community allows pets, while 22.6 percent said they are most thankful for parking, according to a report on the survey.
About 9.3 percent are most thankful for a swimming pool, 8.8 percent said storage, and 6.5 percent said they were most thankful for a fitness center at their apartment community, with 21.2 percent citing a range of other apartment community features.
