NMHC Survey: Apartment Dwellers Want Fast Web Access

WASHINGTON, DC-It is becoming more important than ever that multifamily property owners and managers make sure their properties are tech-friendly, according to a new survey released by the National Multi Housing Council during its Apartment Technology Conference. “Leveraging technology to better serve apartment residents and to enhance property operations has been a priority goal for many apartment firms for several years now,” says Clarine Nardi Riddle, NMHC’s senior vice president. “This survey… supports the idea that many Americans choose apartment living because of the availability of high-tech amenities. In the future, we expect prospective residents to routinely ask not only about rent, floor plans and fitness centers, but also whether a property has high-speed Internet access.”

CEL & Associates conducted the survey for the NMHC, which first launched its technology initiative in 1998 to help apartment owners make smart technology decisions and investments. Some 30,000 apartment residents and nearly 100 apartment managers received survey questionnaires. The results suggest that high-speed Internet access is becoming a must-have utility, in many cases because residents want to bring work home and stay connected to work-based projects.

Survey results show that most US apartment residents have a computer in their home (79% own desktops, 61% have laptops), and that they spend one to four hours per day using it. Eighty-two percent spend at least some computer time on work-related projects, with a quarter of them devoting at least half their computer time on work projects; Seventy-seven percent are connected to the Internet, paying an average of $28/month for the service. Twenty-three per cent have high-speed Internet access, 45% report they do not plan to get high-speed access this year and 47% say having high-speed access to the Internet would affect their decision whether to rent a particular apartment.