Rental Trends: What Renters in Arlington and Washington, D.C. Want

This biweekly sponsored column is written by the experts at Gordon James Realty, a local property management firm that specializes in residential real estate, commercial real estate and homeowner associations. Please submit any questions in the comments section or via email.

When planning a move or considering a new place to live, there are a lot of factors that can go into the decision. After all, it’s a big one!

When looking for new apartments and/or homes, you must take into consideration the inspection list of the property, the location, the price, the value, the school districts, the nearby job opportunities, and so much more. What else is important in a home? Amenities! Are you an avid cook who needs to have an updated, state-of-the-art kitchen? Are you a clothes horse who can’t live without walk-in closets? There are a lot of amenities to take into consideration and it’s up to you to decide what you can and can’t live without.

See below for the top-searched amenities in Washington, D.C. and Arlington in 2016.

Arlington

1. Washer/Dryer In Unit: 19.3 percent
2. Utilities Included: 11.4 percent
3. Air Conditioning: 10.4 percent
4. Patio or Balcony: 6.3 percent
5. Dishwasher: 5.0 percent
6. Fitness Center : 4.2 percent
7. Cable or Satellite: 3.5 percent
8. Garages: 3.5 percent
9. Walk-In Closets: 3.4 percent
10. Short-Term Lease: 3.0 percent
11. Microwave: 3.0 percent
12. Public Transportation: 2.6 percent
13. Pool: 2.5 percent
14. Furnished Available: 2.4 percent
15. Wireless Internet Access: 2.2 percent

Washington, D.C.

1. Utilities Included: 20.4 percent
2. Washer/Dryer: 17.2 percent
3. Air Conditioning: 9.4 percent
4. Patio or Balcony: 5.5 percent
5. Dishwasher: 4.8 percent
6. Walk-in Closets: 3.7 percent
7. Cable or Satellite: 3.1 percent
8. Fitness Center : 2.8 percent
9. Microwave: 2.4 percent
10. Wireless Internet Access: 2.3 percent
11. Washer/Dryer Hookup: 2.3 percent
12. Pool: 2.1 percent
13. Public Transportation : 2.0 percent
14. Laundry Facility: 1.9 percent
15. Garages: 1.9 percent

Let’s delve into these coveted amenities a bit, shall we? At first glance, there’s very little difference between what people in D.C. want from their amenities and what people in Arlington want from their amenities. They want utilities included, a washer and dryer, air conditioning (hey, it’s hot there in the summer!), a patio and/or balcony and a dishwasher. All are in the top five, but not necessarily in the exact same order. In fact, the only areas where they differ a bit are:

• Washer/Dryer Hookup – D.C. inhabitants place this at No. 10 in level of importance (while Arlington did not even put it in their top 12). Makes sense! If you can’t have a washer/dryer in your space, you might as well have the ability to buy your own and hook them up.
• Laundry Facility – Again with the importance of clean clothes in Washington, D.C! There, it is ranked No. 14 while, in Arlington, it failed to make the list.
• Short-Term Lease – People in Arlington seem to be more interested in short-term leases as they ranked this amenity as No. 10. Hmm – perhaps people in D.C. are more likely to stay put in one place longer? What do you think?
• Furnished Available – This ties in closely to short-term leases. Since people are coming and going from the area a lot (think politics, new terms, new parties, etc.), perhaps Arlington is where they live. It’s cheaper and they can sign short-term leases in already furnished apartments to make their moves easier!

Now that you know which amenities are of the utmost importance in D.C. and Arlington, what amenities are most important to you? If you’re looking for more info on what renters want in the area, contact us here.