What can you do to minimize vacancies? The first step is knowing what features renters want. Then, identify which of those features your property offers and highlight them in your listings. Our survey data from the Zillow Consumer Housing Trends Report shows that renters are pretty specific about what impacts their home decision. If your property can boast any of these most-desired features, make sure to call them out in your listings.

Three of the top four home characteristics that renters consider highly important focus on space: having enough of it and the right type. As ever, price point is key, too.

1. Staying within budget

Hands down, a rent price that keeps them on budget is the top concern for most renters: 81% of those who moved into a rental in the past year say it’s highly important.

2. Number of bedrooms

Second only to budget for renters is finding a place that has their preferred number of bedrooms. A full 64% of renters say this is at least a very important factor in finding the right place to live.

3. Layout

Having their preferred floor plan or layout is highly important for 45% of all renters. It may be that after a year of staying indoors with family or roommates, the right number of walls and doors is newly prized.

4. A walkable neighborhood

With outdoor spaces among the safest spots to gather over the last two years, it’s no surprise to see that 56% of renters valued a walkable neighborhood when searching for an apartment.

5. A short commute time

How Americans work has changed. A little over half (52%) of renters say a short commute time is a highly important factor in choosing a place to live, but this is down from 55% in 2020, a possible outcome of the work-from-home revolution.

6. Smart home capabilities

How smart renters expect their homes to be largely depends — unsurprisingly — on age. Gen Z leads the pack on prioritizing smart home capabilities, with 20% in 2020 saying this amenity was very or extremely important. Millennials are similar at 17%, and just 6% of Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation place a high priority on smart home capabilities.

7. In-unit washer and dryer

Another priority amenity that falls along age lines is the in-unit washer and dryer. This amenity is one all age groups seem to value, though to different degrees: 55% of Gen Z, 53% of Millennials and 40% of Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation said in 2020 the in-unit washer and dryer is very or extremely important.