Do People Really Like Living in L.A.?

The Los Angeles multifamily market is booming—with record-level occupancy rates, development activity and ever-increasing rents. But are the renters happy? According to a new survey from Apartment List, renters give Los Angeles a C+ in overall satisfaction. The city received the lowest scores for commute time, affordability, quality of schools and pet friendliness, all of which received a D rating, and the highest score for weather, which received an A rating.

“A low overall satisfaction score could indicate that renters are less likely to stay long-term in the L.A. area, and may avoid moving to the area overall,” Sydney Bennet, senior research associate, tells GlobeSt.com. “The low affordability grade indicates that high rent prices are likely one factor driving dissatisfaction, so new construction of multifamily buildings could improve scores.”

While affordability is a major issue impacting the multifamily market, quality of job opportunities received a C+, and the combination could impact rental activity. “Job opportunities continue to draw renters to Los Angeles, at least for short periods of time, but high housing costs and traffic are preventing many renters from settling down long term,” explains Bennet. “More housing and transit infrastructure is needed to support continued housing growth.”