‘What Renters Want’ with Jessica Fiur: 6 Amenities You Really Should Have

I’ve previously written two blogs about amenities that might not be worth the investment (

But that’s not the case—I just listened to a lot of grunge music growing up. Plus there are plenty of amenities that are totally worth it—amenities that people either want going in, or didn’t know they wanted it until they had it and now they can’t imagine their lives without it (sort of like how I never had cable when I was little, but now wouldn’t know what to do with myself if I couldn’t watch Breaking Bad, Dexter or American Horror Story. Probably put them on my Netflix queue. But you know what I mean).

Here is a list of worthwhile amenities. Does your community have these amenities? Maybe you should.

6 Amenities You Really Should Have

In-unit washers and dryers: Maybe not the sexiest amenities out there. It certainly doesn’t have the cache of a screening room or billiards room or a discotheque, or whatever the latest “hot” amenity is. After all, doing laundry is the absolute worst. And if it’s not in your apartment, you have to worry about coming back in time to get it, or people taking your stuff out of the washer to put their stuff in, or having enough quarters or money on your laundry card. And you sort of have to look presentable so you don’t scare away that cute girl from 4B, which is impossible, because on laundry day you don’t have anything presentable left to wear (if you did, you could put off doing your laundry another couple of days). If it’s in your apartment, you can do laundry when you feel like it, and no one judges you.

24-Hour Security: Again, not that sexy of an amenity (unless maybe the doormen’s uniforms look like something out of Magic Mike). But an important part about living somewhere is feeling safe. Call boxes at the front door are fine, but, really, anyone could just walk in behind someone that was just buzzed up. Doormen or other security systems would definitely be something your residents would appreciate.

Bike storage: Biking is cool again. Or maybe it was always cool. I don’t know, I just created my own grumpy cat meme, so clearly I have no idea what “cool” is. Anyway, in urban areas, a lot of people ride bikes to work or class, and there are tons of people who ride on the weekends for fun. And bikes take up a lot of room in an apartment, so this would be a helpful amenity.

Extra storage space in general: Speaking of storage place, a lot of apartments are lacking in the closet arena. And micro apartments are gaining popularity, which means even less space. Plus, getting rid of stuff is hard, because you know the second you throw out that outfit, you’ll have an occasion where it would have been perfect, and then you have to go shopping and buy something new (or maybe that’s just me). Everyone would like the option of having extra storage space, even if they had to pay for it.

Barbecue area: This may sound frivolous. But if you have the outdoor space at your community (and aren’t located on the North Pole or something), you should definitely consider it. Everyone likes barbecuing. Even vegetarians. (Veggie burgers still count as grilling. Sort of.) In the warmer months, you’ll always have people outside grilling. And when that happens, it’ll make your community smell amazing. Win-win.

Free Wi-Fi. Because. No further explanation necessary.

What other amenities should people look to have in their buildings? What are your most popular amenities?

-Jessica Fiur, News Editor