Survey says: Renters want to be 'Smart'

Aside from a nice-looking pad, key wants among renters is at least one smart device or system in their home.

According to a recent survey conducted by Rent.com, at least 82% of renters want smart products in their homes. But about 49% of survey respondents don’t currently have any smart home tech in their apartment, condo, house, or townhome.

Rent.com researchers surveyed 1,546 people about their smart home technology preferences. They were asked which smart home features they currently have in their lease and which smart devices they wished they had. Renters also revealed how much they'd be willing to pay every month for the smart home technology they wanted.

Then they ranked how important several smart devices were to them. The survey addressed smart thermostats, smart lighting, smart outlets, and smart appliances. Renters were also asked for their opinions about security systems like smart locks/keyless entry systems and automated package lockers, as well as voice assistant controls like Alexa and Google Home.

Just over one-third of respondents (35%) said that smart devices were important or extremely important to them. A comparable number (36%) were neutral on the subject. Another 26% said they didn't care or didn't see smart home technology as important.

The largest group of respondents (21%) told Rent.com that they just wanted one device. Another 20% wanted two devices while 16% wanted three smart home technologies and 10% would prefer four. A segment of renters (17%) didn't want any smart devices at all.

For more about the survey and study from Rent.com, click here.