Survey: House Cleaning is Most Desired Perk in NYC Rental Buildings of 2020
According to a survey conducted by PropertyNest, access to home cleaning and laundry services is the most wanted perk when renting in New York City.
The PropertyNest survey asked New Yorkers across all five boroughs which feature they would most like their landlord to provide as a perk in their rental building.
Survey Highlights
The PropertyNest survey asked:
“Which feature would you most want for your landlord to provide as a perk in your NYC rental building?”
- House cleaning and laundry services are the most wanted perk by New York City renters. The majority of all surveyed (36.4%) New Yorkers chose home cleaning and laundry services as their most wanted amenity. It is the most sought-after service across all ages and genders.
- The top 3 choices for perks are cleaning & laundry (36%), private bar or cafe (15%), Childcare services (14%) for all survey respondents.
- Genders were divided on having an onsite bar and beauty services. Survey results showed that men overwhelmingly preferred to have a private cafe or bar in the building to women (60.1% of men to 39.9% of women). Women, however, overwhelmingly preferred having spa and beauty services available in their building (65% of women to 35% of men).
- Home catering for private dinners was the least desired perk. Only 5% of all survey respondents were interested in home catering. 45-54 year-olds at 26.9% was the largest group of respondents interested out of all who selected this as their top perk. This result could be based on the high availability of food delivery in New York City.
- A private building cafe or bar was still more important for women than having pet care, beauty/spa, or home catering services.
- Young men between the ages 25-34 and 35-45, prioritized child care services over women in the same age group. Men in these age groups also preferred access to child care over a private bar or cafe.
Most of the options provided are comparable to amenities that can be found in a hotel, but that are not standard (yet) in New York City rental buildings.
Choices provided to survey participants were child care services, pet care (grooming, walking, pet sitting), beauty/spa services (massage, nails, hair/beards), private building cafe or bar, home cleaning/laundry services, house sitting (light cleaning, plant/pet maintenance while away), and home catering for private dinners.
Currently, the most common amenities in New York City apartment buildings include laundry room or in-unit washer/dryer, gym, elevator, and roof-top access.
Some higher-end buildings offer doorman/concierge, co-working space, swimming pools, parking, storage, event spaces, personal trainers, monthly networking events, a game lounge, and pet grooming stations.
However, with the rental market being ever so competitive, landlords should take a hard look at which amenities will best attract new tenants to their building.
New Ways for Landlords To Attract Renters
Landlords and management companies can beat out the competition by offering unique services like housekeeping and laundry services, offering food and drinks at an onsite cafe or bar or simply a kiosk in the lobby, making the building more attractive for potential renters and reduce turnover.
The PropertyNest survey results suggest that getting creative and going beyond the standard perk (like 1-2 months of free rent) can pay off for landlords long-term.
Most of the options provided in the PropertyNest survey may also be more cost-effective than traditional amenities, which require build-outs or facility-space, which translates into less real estate that can be leased.
Survey Methodology
PropertyNest conducted an online survey among residents on their New York City rental building amenity preferences in January 2020. 1,501 residents in New York ages 18 and up participated with a margin of error of +/- 2.8%
