Do People Really Like Living in L.A.?

The Los Angeles multifamily market is booming—with record-level occupancy rates, development activity and ever-increasing rents. But are the renters happy? According to a new survey from Apartment List, renters give Los Angeles a C+ in overall satisfaction. The city received the lowest scores for commute time, affordability, quality of schools and pet friendliness, all of which received a D rating, and the highest score for weather, which received an A rating.

“A low overall satisfaction score could indicate that renters are less likely to stay long-term in the L.A. area, and may avoid moving to the area overall,” Sydney Bennet, senior research associate, tells GlobeSt.com. “The low affordability grade indicates that high rent prices are likely one factor driving dissatisfaction, so new construction of multifamily buildings could improve scores.”

While affordability is a major issue impacting the multifamily market, quality of job opportunities received a C+, and the combination could impact rental activity. “Job opportunities continue to draw renters to Los Angeles, at least for short periods of time, but high housing costs and traffic are preventing many renters from settling down long term,” explains Bennet. “More housing and transit infrastructure is needed to support continued housing growth.”

The city could help to improve some of these scores, especially on affordability and public transit, which actually received a B+. “Policies to improve housing affordability and transit infrastructure will improve affordability and commute grades, two of the lowest scores for the city,” says Bennet. “Improvements to LAUSD schools will improve the school quality grade, a particularly important factor for renters with children. Additional outdoor amenities like urban parks could improve scores for both recreational activities and pet-friendliness.”

While the city should spearhead some improvements, developers could help to improve the renter experience of some categories, like pet friendliness. “One low score for the LA area was pre-friendliness,” says Benet. “Properties that allow pets and offer outdoor space for them can improve scores in that category. If developers build near public transit, they could improve commute scores. Additionally, building additional properties, especially non-luxury buildings, will improve overall affordability.”

Overall, Bennet expects the scores to remain low in some categories—keeping the overall satisfaction score down. She explains, “We expect affordability and commute time to continuing receiving low scores, but overall satisfaction could improve as those who tolerate high housing costs are more likely to be renters who love other aspects of the city.”