‘What Renters Want’ with Jessica Fiur: 6 Apartment Trends I Want to See

Sometimes trends take hold of an industry, and it seems like everyone gets on the bandwagon. (Except for “fetch.” Stop trying to make “fetch” happen. It’s not going to happen!) Same goes, of course, for apartments. I recently read an interesting blog on RentCafe called “Changing Trends in Apartment Living.” The blog listed some projected trends in the apartment industry, such as apartments going green and being near transportation, units getting smaller and communities offering free wireless.

That’s all well and good, and those changes are sure to benefit both developers and renters. But it certainly doesn’t include everything on my apartment wish list.

Here’s a list of things I hope will start to trend in the apartment industry.

Walls (and ceilings, and floors) with more insulation. It would definitely help keep down heating costs. But really, one of the worst things about living in an apartment is hearing your neighbors at all hours—their TVs, their music, their screaming babies… Wouldn’t it be nice if an apartment was like your own fortress of solitude? Where you couldn’t hear anything from your neighbors, and at the same time you could blast your ska punk, do your Jillian Michaels’ workout dvd and watch back-to-back episodes of Millionaire Matchmaker without your neighbors hearing (and judging) you?

You know you're getting old when this is on your wish list.

In-unit laundry. I only like using my old lady shopping cart for lugging groceries, thankyouverymuch.

Half baths in addition to full bathrooms. In apartment living, just as it’s inevitable that the Chinese food delivery man will knock on the door right as you step into the bathroom, when you’re living with a roommate it’s inevitable that just as your roommate steps into the shower…you’ll have to go to the bathroom. This is probably just a pipe dream, but wouldn’t it be wonderful if apartments came with a “master bathroom” and a half bath? Then there would never be an issue of someone hogging the bathroom. Plus, you could use the half bath as your “company” bathroom and keep all your fancy soaps and fluffy hand towels in there, and your messy full bathroom could be kept away from prying eyes.

Package delivery rooms. Sure, if you’re lucky enough to have a doorman, you probably already have this covered. But if you don’t, then when the the delivery guy comes, he will leave a note, and then another note. And then you have to schlep all the way to the shipping center to pick something up that at this point you don’t even want or care about anymore. Sure, you can have things delivered to the office, but probably not all the time. It would be great to have a “delivery” room in an apartment building, where packages, dry cleaning, etc. could be dropped off for residents. Ideally, for safety reasons it would not have access to the main building (more like one of those creepy storage units, I guess).

Online rent payment. Companies are starting to turn towards this, but it’s definitely not widespread yet. Currently, my landlord slips our rent bill under my door every month, which is very easy to miss, or step on and walk around with it at the bottom of your shoe for awhile. And then there’s the whole ordeal about writing out the check. I know, I know, it only takes about 30 seconds to write one. But first you have to refer back to the bill to get the spelling of the managing company, for the millionth time. Then you have to remember the correct spelling of the numbers (“seventy” always looks wrong). Then what do you put in the memo section? Apartment B? May’s rent? Congratulations on becoming a Bar Mitzvah? Just…ah…my head hurts. Online payment should at least be an option (although don’t get rid of the old way entirely, because there are still some people who don’t use a computer or just want to show off their puppy or NY Yankees checks). It’s easier and it’s more convenient. After all, the future is here (despite the distinct lack of hoverboards Back to the Future 2 promised us).

Waterslides. And if that’s not possible, there should at least be a community Crocodile Mile. A girl can dream, can’t she?

What do you hope will start to trend in the apartment industry?

-Jessica Fiur, News Editor

Photo credit: LuckyPhoto