Unique amenities that renters look for

Original post

Hi all! I'm looking to make some small (possibly large?) upgrades to my rentals. I've been looking at renovating/revamping the kitchens of my units. My ideas so far have been adding USB outlets or dimmable light switches. Let me know if you have any ideas!

Reply by Ben DG

Reply by Steve Finell

Replace bath fan switches with timers. Replace Toggles with Decora (or similar). If you have landline phone lines (assuming CAT5 or better), convert them to ethernet jacks.

Reply by Mary Ragano

What things are missing from your kitchens today and what type of renter are you trying to attract? We have a duplex where neither unit had a dishwasher. In the first floor, 1-bed unit this was fine and we had no issues attracting renters or charging the rents we were targeting. Our 2nd unit was a large 1-bed with 1.5 baths and a private rooftop balcony. We had trouble attracting tenants who were willing to pay a premium when we didn't have a dishwasher, so we added a countertop one for this apartment only. This allowed us to check that box in the listing - leading to way more traction and ultimately signing a lease. Long story short, I'd focus on things that are going to give you more listing visibility or else help you charge higher rent.

Reply by Roger Thomas

At one time, we advertised that we provided USB outlets and allowed the tenant to decide where to install them. Not one tenant ever took us up on the offer so we stopped even advertising it.