It never ceases to amaze me how many media stories are published each day suggesting that rental housing providers are bad actors simply by virtue of their profession. There are 23 million apartments in the U.S. where over 40 million Americans call home. These homes are financed, developed and operated by thousands of companies which employ tens of thousands of skilled professionals. Certainly not all of these companies and the people that work for them are engaged in bad business practices?
The people who can truly evaluate whether rental housing providers are providing great places to live at fair prices are renters themselves. Despite media reports suggesting otherwise, the truth is that renters, by and large, are happy or extremely happy with their rental home. Recent national data supports this fact:
- The 2024 Renter Preferences Survey (RPS), a national survey of over 172,000 renters conducted by NMHC and Grace Hill, indicated that 85% of renters either agree or strongly agree with the statement, “I enjoy living in my community.” On top of that, the vast majority of respondents feel included and accepted in their community (86%), feel that property staff demonstrate a culture of respect and kindness (85%), and feel that their wellbeing is important to community management (75%).
- A recent survey by Whose Your Landlord (WYL), a company that conducts renter reviews of housing providers showed that 71% of survey respondents said their housing provider positively impacted their life, and 70% indicated that they were confident in their housing provider’s ability to meet their needs. This satisfaction was reflected in the fact that 83% of the respondents also planned to renew their lease in their current home.
“Unfortunately, the false narrative that rental housing is not serving customers well has real impacts. It has become political fuel for policy proposals at the federal, state, and local levels, such as rent control, banning the use of certain technologies, and other measures that add costs for renters and make it more difficult for rental housing providers to serve them well.”
-Sharon Wilson Géno
Unfortunately, the false narrative that rental housing is not serving customers well has real impacts. It has become political fuel for policy proposals at the federal, state, and local levels, such as rent control, banning the use of certain technologies, and other measures that add costs for renters and make it more difficult for rental housing providers to serve them well. Politicians rely on polls that ask voters at large what they think of certain rental housing policies, without going directly to the real experts—the apartment residents. In states like Washington, where rent control bill that would implement statewide rent caps (HB1217) recently passed the state House, policymakers believe rent regulation will solve the affordability crisis. While some of the policy proposals sound good on paper, in the end they may add costs to rent, reduce resources for maintenance or make communities less safe. Recent research from MetroSight quantified the impact of some of these well-intentioned policies, like eviction regulations and source-of-income laws, showing that they end up costing more for housing providers, which in turn impacts housing costs for renters as well. Like the surveys referenced above, asking renters directly about their views on rental housing policies, with full transparency about the impacts on their living situation, is a better barometer.
In any business, there are exceptions to good performance, but the fact is that the vast majority of those serving residents are doing it well, even in what has become an increasingly challenging environment. Comments from actual renters in these surveys tell a positive story of their experiences with their housing provider. Renters talk about property managers who go out of their way to help their residents, and express appreciation for certain building features or locations that we know are carefully selected by a development team. If your organization has positive stories of your residents appreciating the community they call home, we’d love to hear them. Sharing these experiences will help highlight the positive aspects of rental housing and accurately reflect the value of the rental housing living experience. Fill out this form to share your story.
The people who work for rental housing providers generally take great pride in their work and strive to provide a great experience for their customers. Further, these survey results show that the incentives in rental housing are in the right place given that there are many, many more residents with positive experiences than not. It would certainly change the current housing debate if those stories were elevated too.
Sharon Wilson Géno
President, NMHC
Based in Washington, D.C., the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) is where rental housers and suppliers come together to help meet America’s housing needs by creating inclusive and resilient communities where people build their lives. We bring together the owners, managers, developers and suppliers who provide rental homes for 40 million Americans from every walk of life—including seniors, teachers, firefighters, healthcare workers, families with children and many others. NMHC provides a forum for leadership and advocacy that promotes thriving rental housing communities for all. For more information, contact NMHC at (202) 974-2300, email the Council, or visit NMHC's website at nmhc.org.
