Original renter research / September 2026
Before you invest in the next property upgrade, ask what makes daily life better for the people who live there. In Netalyt's survey of 57 renters, the answers point to three priorities: workable costs, well-kept homes, and practical convenience.
chose affordability as their primary decision factor
37 of 57 respondentsselected high fees as a rental deal breaker
49 of 57 respondentssaid they may pay more for in-unit laundry
43 of 57 respondentsWhat should property managers take from this survey?
Start by making the total cost clear, resolving condition concerns, and measuring which improvements residents value. The survey connects rental choice with everyday living: 40 of 57 respondents selected unclear pricing or fees as a deal breaker, while 43 selected poor cleanliness.
For a property management agency, those answers create a concrete agenda. Audit how you explain charges. Check whether a home feels ready when someone walks through the door. Then ask residents where the experience falls short.
The opportunity is to spend with a clearer understanding of what residents need. This case study shows how renter feedback can shape that decision, from a listing update to an improvement budget.
01 / The rental decision starts with a budget
A renter sees more than a monthly payment. They see the money left for groceries, transportation, children, and the rest of their life. In this survey, 37 of 57 respondents chose monthly rent affordability as their primary decision factor. No other individual factor received more than four selections.
That makes the full cost of living at a property a useful place to start. Base rent, required charges, and move-in costs should tell one understandable story. A prospect should be able to work out whether the home fits their budget before arranging a tour.
Share of 57 respondents selecting each deal breaker. Multiple selections allowed.
“Understanding that people have budgets, and for property management to show pricing in websites before coming to tour.”
High fees and unclear fees are different problems. One concerns the amount. The other concerns whether a resident can understand and plan for it. A feedback program helps your team separate the two before choosing a response.
Review a current listing alongside the lease cost summary. Put base rent, required recurring charges, and one-time costs together. Label optional and variable costs clearly. Ask new residents whether the costs matched what they expected.
02 / The everyday experience belongs in the investment conversation
When a property team discusses upgrades, it can be tempting to start with what photographs well. The survey puts cleanliness and condition firmly on the agenda. Poor cleanliness was a deal breaker for 43 respondents. Poor property condition was selected by 41.
These findings make a strong case for reviewing the basics alongside amenity plans: clean common areas, a unit that feels ready, and repairs that hold up in daily use. A tour-ready home creates an expectation. The lived experience needs to follow through.
Share of 57 respondents. Multiple selections allowed.
For managers, the next question is specific: Which parts of our property experience are creating avoidable frustration? Your maintenance system can show that a ticket closed. Resident feedback can tell you whether the repair worked and whether the communication left someone confident that the issue was resolved.
Combine those views. Repeated comments about the same area can help you decide where to inspect, which process to review, and what to ask in the next survey.
Walk one move-in-ready unit and its shared spaces. Record condition concerns, assign an owner, and set a completion date. After a repair, ask whether the issue is fully resolved. Track repeat concerns alongside your operational records.
03 / Price sensitivity and willingness to pay can coexist
The survey's most useful contrast is this: affordability led the primary decision question, yet respondents also identified features they may pay more for. In-unit laundry led that question with 43 selections. Newer or cleaner properties followed with 35, then larger apartments with 34.
Renters can care deeply about cost and still see value in a feature that improves their routine. The management question becomes: Which improvements are worth it to the residents we serve?
Top five selections, plus fitness centers and pools for comparison. Multiple selections allowed; 57 respondents.
Laundry also appeared on the other side of the decision: 41 respondents selected its absence as a deal breaker. That gives your team a specific topic to explore in leasing conversations and resident research.
Use these preferences to create an investment shortlist. Ask your residents about the actual options and prices you could offer. Compare their answers with installation, maintenance, and operating costs. The survey measured interest in paying more, not a dollar premium, so the next step is to test a concrete offer.
Before approving an amenity project, present two or three realistic improvements. Ask residents to rank them and explain their first choice. Follow up with the cost tradeoff. Measure actual uptake before expanding the offer.
04 / Turn a useful finding into a repeatable management practice
A renter survey can identify what matters. Your own resident feedback tells you how well your team is delivering it. That connection turns a research finding into a management tool.
For an agency managing 50 to 300 units across its whole portfolio, start with a small set of questions you can act on. Measure overall experience, communication, property condition, maintenance, and value. Ask what needs to improve and whether residents intend to renew.
Read the scores alongside the comments. A low value score could reflect rent, unexpected charges, or a home that needs attention. The number identifies where to look. The explanation helps your team choose a response.
Follow-through is the opportunity.
selected unclear pricing or fees as a deal breaker.
40 of 57 respondents- 01 / Understand
Find the unexpected cost.
Ask your residents which charges were unclear before they signed.
- 02 / Act
Give the fix an owner.
Have the leasing lead put required charges into one clear cost summary.
- 03 / Check
Did the experience change?
Ask the next residents whether their costs matched expectations. Track the concern again.
Keep the loop open. Use the next answers to decide what still needs work.
Example workflow: turning the survey’s pricing finding into a management response.
Keep a record of what you changed and when. In the next feedback cycle, check whether the same concern returns. Review renewal outcomes alongside stated intent, rather than treating intent as a completed renewal.
A 30-day action plan for your management team
You can put these findings to work before a major capital project. Start with a baseline and three decisions your team can own.
Make costs understandable
Audit a listing, a cost summary, and the questions your leasing team receives. Ask residents which charges were unexpected.
Measure: pricing clarity and recurring cost questions.
Close the everyday gaps
Review the most repeated condition and maintenance concerns. Assign a person and deadline to each priority.
Measure: unresolved issues and resident-confirmed resolution.
Choose what comes next
Review resident priorities alongside the work completed. Select the next improvement and a date to ask for feedback again.
Measure: whether the concern persists after action.
Six resident feedback questions you can use
These suggested questions translate the findings into a starting point for your own survey. They are follow-up questions for managers, not the original study questionnaire.
- How clear were the total costs before you signed your lease?
Very unclear to very clear, with an optional explanation. - How satisfied are you with the condition of your home?
Very dissatisfied to very satisfied. - Was your most recent maintenance issue fully resolved?
Yes, partly, no, or no recent maintenance request. - How satisfied are you with communication from management?
Very dissatisfied to very satisfied. - Which improvement would make the biggest difference to your daily life here?
Use an open response, or realistic options for your property with an “other” choice. - How would you rate your overall experience living here?
Use a consistent 1–10 scale, from very poor to excellent.
Keep the wording and scales consistent when comparing results over time. Include a way to explain a rating. Explain how responses will be used and how a resident can request follow-up.
Find out what your residents would change.
Your next improvement deserves more than a guess. Netalyt's resident feedback service brings survey results, written feedback, and recommendations together so your management team can choose its next steps.
Bring one question you need answered about your portfolio. We'll help scope a feedback program around it, including outreach, reporting, and a review of the findings.
Discuss your resident feedback needs →Explore the Resident Experience serviceQuestions property managers ask
What is a resident feedback survey?
A resident feedback survey asks people about their experience of living at a property. It can cover communication, maintenance, property condition, value, and overall satisfaction. The useful output is a set of priorities your team can act on and measure again.
How can resident feedback help with retention?
It gives managers a way to ask about unresolved concerns and reasons residents may leave. Teams can use the answers to prioritize follow-up and service improvements. Track actual renewals over time to evaluate whether those actions are helping.
What should a property management agency measure first?
Start with overall experience, maintenance, communication, property condition, and value. Pair ratings with one question about what should improve. Add renewal intent when it fits the survey's purpose, and keep response counts visible when comparing results.
Get the survey results behind the story
Download the aggregate counts and percentages as a CSV. Enter your email to access the file.
About this case study
Source: Netalyt renter-choice survey, version renter-choice-v1. This article analyzes 57 unique response records submitted September 6–12, 2026. Of those respondents, 47 identified as current renters and 43 were ages 18–34.
Percentages use all 57 responses and round to the nearest whole number. Deal-breaker and willingness-to-pay questions allowed multiple selections. The quotation is reproduced from one written response and illustrates that person's experience.
The findings describe the people surveyed and their stated preferences. They are a renter research case study, not a measured client intervention or a national market estimate. Management actions in this article are recommendations to test with your own residents.
Published by Netalyt, September 15, 2026.