What multifamily housing operators are focused on as 2025 nears its close. 

Luxuries, necessities and community offerings function as a Venn diagram with many overlaps—often viewed as an end result when a prospective resident is in search of a new apartment home or a current resident is contemplating renewal. However, there are many aspects involved in what looks like three overlapping circles ranging from project design and development to property management operations to repair and community upkeep.  

The rental housing industry is hyper-focused on customer care, similar to how the hospitality sector is with its guests.  

“Residents increasingly demand high-touch customer service, even within digital platforms,” says K. David Meit, Principal at Oculus Realty. “This means developing ongoing touchpoints that create meaningful connections while leveraging technology for efficiency.”  

Resident satisfaction is among the many factors the rental housing industry is focusing on in the second half of the year. While this one term has a meaning that is generally understood, there are numerous factors that go into this result, stretching from amenity offerings, onsite staff friendliness and community design, among others.  

Flexing a Building’s Core  

Onsite fitness centers have long been associated with apartment living—one of the many features within the amenity umbrella that relates back to the core idea of resident satisfaction. “The appeal of sustainable and wellness-focused living remains strong, with residents gravitating toward properties that offer energy-efficient systems, fitness-friendly layouts and spaces that support well-being,” says Calynne Oyolokor, Senior Vice President, Multifamily Rental Division at FirstService Residential.  

Often, it’s not as simple as having an extra room or space available for workout equipment and weights. “Our biggest issue is the density—we’re trying to maximize the amenities in areas that typically are not used like rooftop decks, rooftop pools, indoor-outdoor fitness areas.... In the Southeast, you have a garden-style apartment community that is 15 acres. In the Northeast, we’re trying to put a building into a city block. So, you have to use every inch of space that you have,” says Jay Stasi, Vice President of Development with The Hampshire Companies.  

Some building designs are based on more ergonomical and sustainable living. “Developers, owners and property managers are revisiting proven building systems, energy-saving retrofits and innovative technologies that lower consumption without sacrificing resident comfort,” says Oyolokor, referring to function-first design principles.

Design Trends

Rentals continue to see larger windows and elongated units along with under cabinet lighting and other featured items that have been focused on for some time. “The higher ceilings and items that bring the outside into your home, into your apartment living, are also trending upward,” says Stasi.  

“Integrating thoughtful, lifestyle-enhancing amenities alongside experienced property management from the start is key to creating high-value, high-performance communities,” Oyolokor says.  

Save Some for the Fishes

Energy conservation for the good of the community, neighborhood and the entire world are important factors in the rental housing industry and resident satisfaction. “We work with our residents to understand how they use energy and water to better integrate sustainability efforts,” says Andrew Kadish, CEO of Maryland-based CAPREIT. “The real challenge is to make the conservation seamless. Understanding how residents relate to their environment helps us craft ways that meet their needs while reducing consumption.... Residents are generally very happy to help conserve resources, especially if the process is seamless to their lifestyle.”  

Joe Lubeck, CEO of American Landmark Apartments, says they are using real-time dashboards, green renewal perks and reward programs to keep residents engaged in sustainability.  

“We put a lot of effort into seeing a property for what it is and into strategizing long-term CapEx planning to maintain our assets at as high a quality as is appropriate. This is beneficial to the residents, environment and investors if done correctly,” says Tim Bruss, Managing Director of Asset Management at Hamilton Zanze.  

Expense Control

When outlays begin, often it can feel as though they continue to climb with no end in sight, but this is the time to be solutions-oriented to find the underlying challenge and the eventual resolution. According to Meit, Montgomery County, Md., has newly instituted contamination fees when recyclables are mixed with trash and landfill items, leading to additional costs that can be subdued with staff training and resident education.  

In the utility framework, “You can structure contracts based on generation pricing—where the majority of costs originate—rather than accepting standard utility rates. Properties that fail to optimize these contracts leave substantial savings on the table,” Meit says. “The most successful properties maintain systematic approaches to expense management that address underlying causes rather than reacting to budget variances after they occur,” he adds.  

Stakeholder feedback, materials-focus and data-driven decisions, says Lubeck, are how American Landmark is balancing financial benefits with the costs associated with sustainability. The firm uses surveys, highlights energy usage and “uses benchmarking and resident-controlled emissions data to identify efficiency opportunities,” Lubeck says.  

Insurance

One way to regulate insurance costs is to show providers that communities and companies are doing everything in their power to prevent external factors from affecting these buildings while educating staff. 

“Controlling insurance costs requires a comprehensive risk management approach that demonstrates to carriers your commitment to property protection and loss prevention,” Meit says. “Developing and adhering to documented risk management policies means having disaster management programs in place and maintaining regular communication with residents about emergency procedures.”  

While not every community is impacted by natural weather events or other outside factors, companies do feel that squeeze. “Pricing has killed deals for us in actuality because of operational insurance,” says Stasi. “In the Northeast, we have less of the catastrophic weather events, but the ripple effects are still felt.”  

One for the Road  

Staffing continues to affect multifamily housing operations. 

“The staffing crisis remains the industry’s most significant operational challenge, with direct impacts on service delivery, risk management and financial performance,” says Meit.  

One solution to this challenge is finding staff who love what they do and view a position in multifamily housing as a career rather than a steppingstone to something else or a temporary, part-time gig job.  

It’s important not to sacrifice quality candidates or the time it takes to find them for quick solutions to an open position that needs to be filled.  

Also, prepare employees enough and educate them well, but don’t take it personally when they advance their career elsewhere. “The industry is small, and maintaining positive relationships with former employees often leads to future opportunities and referrals.” Boomerang employees can be essential to those open roles should they become available.  

“Developing teams that understand both interpersonal dynamics and technical building systems creates the foundation for effective property management and risk mitigation,” Meit says.  

Finding Some Assistance  

“Look for candidates who demonstrate commitment to lifelong learning through trade association memberships and industry engagement,” adds Meit. “These individuals understand that career advancement requires giving back to the industry through professional development and mentorship.” 

Michael Miller is NAA’s managing editor.