For renters with families (typically in their 30s and 40s with young children), an apartment must function first and foremost as a comfortable, secure home for raising kids. Their amenity preferences reflect the practical realities of family life rather than the lifestyle aspirations that often drive younger renters' choices. The 2025 Emerging Trends in Real Estate by ULI report highlights that demographic shifts are reinforcing this dichotomy, with older households (including the growing 65+ cohort) increasingly choosing to rent both multifamily and single-family units with different needs than younger demographics.
Space and Storage: The Never-Ending Need
Any parent knows children come with a remarkable amount of stuff. Walk-in closets and extra storage rank as top-valued features among family renters nationwide. In markets like Dallas, over half of renters insist on walk-in closets as "must-haves."
This need extends beyond closet space to storage lockers, bike rooms, and floor plans with additional storage nooks—particularly crucial in affordable housing communities where unit sizes may be modest.
The Laundry Lifesaver
No single amenity divides the priorities of young singles and families more clearly than in-unit laundry. While convenient for everyone, in-unit washers and dryers become virtually non-negotiable for households with children. A recent survey found 93% of renters rated in-unit laundry as a top apartment feature.
For families, the alternative—carrying loads of children's clothes to a laundromat or shared facility—represents a major inconvenience impacting quality of life.
Safety First: The Non-Negotiable Priority
Parents generally insist on secure, family-friendly environments, placing high importance on:
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Building security features like controlled access gates
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Well-lit parking areas, security cameras, and good hallway lighting
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Neighborhoods with lower crime rates
The 2025 Emerging Trends report emphasizes the growing importance of "design choices that promote visibility and community oversight," such as positioning playgrounds in central courtyards where natural supervision occurs.
Child-Friendly Design Elements
Families prioritize amenities specifically designed with children in mind. Play spaces rank high—even a small tot lot or indoor playroom can set a community apart in a family's housing decision.
Families also value proximity to good schools, parks, and childcare facilities; community rooms for gatherings; functional unit layouts; and soundproofing between units.
Daily Livability Features
For families, the practical aspects of daily living often outweigh flashier amenities. Features that simplify day-to-day family routines become particularly valuable:
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Ample parking (families often have multiple vehicles)
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Reserved or covered parking (highly sought in many family-heavy markets in the South)
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Elevators for stroller access
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Ground-floor units for families with young children
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Energy-efficient appliances that reduce utility costs
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Durable, easy-to-clean finishes that stand up to wear and tear
These practical considerations help explain why family renters often prefer suburban-style garden apartments or townhome-style rentals that offer more space and convenience over high-rise urban developments.
Regional Trends: Family-Friendly Markets
Family renter preferences show distinct geographical patterns, with certain regions emerging as particularly well-suited to their needs. The 2025 Emerging Trends in Real Estate report confirms this regional differentiation, showing Sun Belt markets continue to dominate the top rankings for overall real estate prospects.
Sun Belt and Suburban Family Markets
The Sun Belt dominates the rankings of the best places for renter families. The 2025 Emerging Trends survey reflects this preference, with Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami, Houston, and Tampa/St. Petersburg claiming the top four positions in the rankings.
In markets like Dallas, Atlanta, and Charlotte, apartment communities heavily feature outdoor amenities—green spaces, playgrounds, community pools, and covered parking rank high on renters' wish lists. Dallas particularly stands out for its renters' emphasis on storage space, with walk-in closets considered essential by a majority of renters.
Midwestern Balance
Midwestern markets show an interesting blend of amenities catering to diverse renter profiles. While co-working spaces appeal to young professionals, features like side-by-side in-unit washers/dryers with built-in storage near bedrooms serve family needs. This suggests that in markets with more balanced renter demographics, successful developments often combine amenities to attract multiple segments.
West Coast & Mountain West
California renters place high value on private outdoor space and natural light—amenities that improve quality of life for all, but especially for families who want a bit of outdoor room at home. In the Mountain West, recreation-focused amenities like fitness centers and nearby green spaces/trails appeal to both young adventure-seekers and active families. These regions also show high interest in efficient appliances and air filtration systems, reflecting both practical concerns and wellness priorities.
Strategic Design for Family-Friendly Properties
Understanding family preferences has led developers and property managers to adopt several key strategies:
Back to Basics Excellence
An important insight from recent renter surveys is that fancy extras should never come at the expense of everyday essentials. Across all demographic groups, practical features—in-unit laundry, dishwashers, air conditioning—matter most. This principle is especially relevant in affordable housing, where budget constraints require prioritizing the features that most impact daily quality of life.
Ensuring every family unit has reliable appliances, adequate space, and functional layouts addresses these core needs before adding more specialized amenities. As one industry expert noted, many of these features are now considered standard "like a fridge or microwave" rather than luxuries.
The 2025 Emerging Trends report confirms this focus on essentials, noting that "many industry leaders interviewed this summer are starting to see the signs they were looking for" in terms of greater certainty about what renters truly value. The report highlights that "basic comforts" should come first in any development plan before considering higher-end amenity spaces.
Safety-Centered Design
Safety considerations increasingly influence property design from the earliest planning stages. Beyond obvious measures like controlled access systems and security cameras, thoughtful design can enhance security through environmental features:
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Positioning playgrounds or tot lots in central courtyards with natural surveillance
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Designing parking areas visible from units
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Creating well-lit pathways and common areas
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Implementing clear sightlines throughout the property
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Establishing well-defined boundaries between public and private spaces
These design principles not only deter crime but also create a sense of community oversight that makes families feel more secure—a core amenity that directly impacts resident satisfaction and retention.
Multi-Functional Community Spaces
To serve diverse tenant populations while maximizing return on investment, many developers now create flexible, multi-use amenity spaces rather than dedicated single-purpose rooms. For example, a thoughtfully designed community room might function as:
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A homework center or afterschool program space during weekday afternoons
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A weekend gathering spot for family celebrations
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An occasional venue for community meetings or classes
This approach is particularly valuable in affordable housing, where space efficiency is crucial. With flexible furniture and adaptable layouts, a single well-designed space can serve multiple needs throughout the day and week.
Family-Friendly Programming
Physical amenities represent just one aspect of creating a family-friendly community. Increasingly, affordable housing providers recognize the value of programming and services that support family residents:
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After-school homework help
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Summer activities for children
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Family cooking nights or nutrition classes
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Financial literacy workshops for parents
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Community gardening programs
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Holiday celebrations and family events
While not traditional "amenities," these offerings create a family-centric atmosphere that significantly enhances resident satisfaction and retention. For working parents especially, knowing their children have constructive activities and community support adds immeasurable value to their housing experience.
Balancing Diverse Needs: The Future of Multifamily Amenities
As we've explored in this two-part series, young adults and families have distinct—but not mutually exclusive—amenity preferences. The challenge for today's developers and property managers lies in creating communities that can successfully serve diverse demographic needs, sometimes even within the same property.
Several approaches show promise:
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Zoning amenities strategically - Creating distinct areas that serve different resident groups, such as quiet work zones separated from active play areas
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Emphasizing shared priorities - Focusing investment on amenities valued by all demographics (security, convenience, quality appliances) while thoughtfully balancing group-specific features
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Adapting to community evolution - Designing flexible spaces that can be reconfigured as resident demographics shift over time
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Location-sensitive planning - Considering neighborhood context when determining which amenities to prioritize on-site versus leveraging nearby community resources
The 2025 Emerging Trends in Real Estate report reinforces these approaches, particularly emphasizing the value of flexibility. Industry leaders are increasingly focused on "'agile or multi-functional amenities rather than a long checklist of single-purpose rooms." The report notes that this approach is "particularly useful in affordable housing, where every square foot must count," allowing properties to meet the needs of both young adult and family residents without increasing footprint.
The most successful multifamily properties recognize that amenities aren't about chasing the latest trends but about responding to genuine lifestyle needs. Whether serving tech-savvy young professionals or busy families juggling school drop-offs and soccer practice, properties that thoughtfully address residents' daily challenges create true value that translates into higher occupancy rates, stronger retention, and a more vibrant community.
By understanding the distinct preferences of different demographic groups—and the places where those preferences overlap—developers can create communities that feel designed specifically for their residents, whether they're twenty-something remote workers or families with young children. In the competitive rental market, this resident-centered approach to amenity planning represents the surest path to success.
Related Articles:
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Renters’ Favored Amenities Revealed (Multi-Housing News)
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The amenities multifamily residents really want in 2025 (RE Journals)
- NMHC Report: Rent Regulation Policy in the United States (The National Multifamily Housing Council)