Renters are on the hunt for open-air amenities, more space, and a better deal in the city they already live in as 2021 unfolds, according to a recent RENTCafé survey on how renters' preferences have changed as a result of the pandemic. 

An improvement in lifestyle was the main driver for the more than 10,000 people who participated in the survey while searching for an apartment on rentcafe.com. The top features respondents searched for a year into the pandemic included open-air amenities (21%) and more space (20%)—data that stands in stark contrast to RENTCafe's March 2020 survey, where top drivers were price and safety. In addition, space and open air amenities were more important to renters than WFH amenities like home offices. 

The prospect of a better deal motivated 29% of respondents, while the need for a change of scenery prompted a quarter of those surveyed to move. And perhaps most interesting? Contrary to breathless pandemic-era reports of Americans ditching their cities for secondary markets, approximately 90% of renters were looking for long-term rentals with 48% looking to remain in the same city. A mere 4% of renters chose to move because they could now be more flexible by working remotely.