••• housing research
Regrets, apartment renters have had a few
More than two-thirds of renters have misgivings about their apartment, according to a survey from HotPads, a San Francisco-based apartment and home search platform for renters in urban areas in the United States. The apartments’ monthly cost and noise level are among their top regrets.
In fast-moving housing markets, renters often have to act quickly to sign a lease and in the process may overlook things they will later regret. Over a quarter (26 percent) of renters cited their monthly rental payment as their biggest regret after moving in, followed by remorse over their apartments’ noise level (26 percent) and safety of the unit and neighborhood (21 percent). However, renters admit noise and safety were not even in their top five considerations during the apartment search.
Other common regrets include in-unit laundry (18 percent), a parking garage (15 percent) and air conditioning (12 percent) – elements that can be difficult to assess before moving in. Renter’s remorse can set in quickly: 61 percent of renters who have lived in their new rental for less than three months already have at least one regret about their choice. Since most renters opt for a 12-month lease, understanding what features matter most before committing to a rental can help prevent some of these common post move-in regrets.
HotPads worked with researcher Ipsos to conduct this survey. A nationally representative sample of 409 U.S. renters age 18 or older in buildings with five or more units (“apartment renters”) was interviewed online, in English. The survey was fielded September 5-7, 2017.
••• the internet of things
Butt out, Alexa
A survey conducted by Wilton, Conn., researcher Toluna shows that 63 percent of respondents are concerned or very concerned that their personal information is being recorded via a voice-activated virtual assistant (Amazon Echo, Google Home, etc.).Concern regarding privacy is slightly higher among men (65 percent) than women(61 percent).
Those who own a voice-activated virtual assistant express greater intensity of concern at their personal information being recorded (46 percent) than those who do not own one (37 percent). However, the survey shows that nine in 10 of voice-activated virtual assistant owners say they would recommend one to a friend, while nearly 40 percent of those who do not currently own a voice-activated virtual assistant said they plan to purchase one in the future. The survey also found that consumers who own a voice-activated virtual assistant make fewer in-store purchases, do less online research and read and watch traditional media channels less frequently than before they owned their device.