New trends emerged while others were fortified when it comes to renter preferences and their housing outlook, according to results from a survey by MRI Software late last year that measured post-pandemic priorities.
Many considered a relocation for reasons including a preference to work from home. Suburbanites are the most open to other locations, with 45% expressing a desire to live elsewhere and rural residents least likely to leave (29%).
About two-thirds said their next home would be in the same type of environment as their current one.
When asked where their next rental would be, between 9% and 16% responded that they do not plan to rent again, and that sentiment was strongest in small towns (16%) and rural areas (14%) when compared to suburbs (10%) and city dwellers (9%), according to the Q3 2022 online global survey of roughly 6,000 consumers, split about evenly between the US, UK, and Australia.
This is likely a reflection of relative housing costs and availability, according to the report.
"When comparing current housing type with the type of housing they would prefer, we see a clear preference for a house versus other options," MRI Software said. This desire is consistent across location types."
Other inclinations were that renters plan to eventually own a home; private garages, in-unit laundry, and premium appliances are desired; communicating with the landlord digitally is preferred; they appreciate "green practices," and paying rent digitally is better than through cash or check
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