Most Renters Believe Smart Home Tech Should Be Standard in Multifamily

Polling 700 adults in the U.S., Quext’s Smart Home Technology Trends survey has found that most renters believe smart home technology should be a standard feature in multifamily housing, while those making $125,000-plus say it should be a luxury.

The survey found that Americans are more excited about the future of smart home technologies than they are about artificial intelligence (AI), 5G, or the metaverse. Across all income groups—$150,000 per year to less than $25,000 per year—40% of respondents note smart speakers like Alexa as the only smart home product used in their home.

While over half (51%) of those with incomes of $100,000 or more use smart home security systems and smart lighting systems (50%), only 34% of respondents with incomes under $100,000 say they use smart home security systems and 21% use smart lighting systems.

Among high-income apartment renters ($150,000-plus annual household income), 27% cite smart home products as their most important amenity—trumping other perks including gated entry and covered parking. In contrast, only 9% of less-affluent renters ($50,000 annual income or less) cite smart home products as an important amenity.

Of renters paying $1,000 or less per month for rent, 12% say they have access to smart home tech. Among those paying monthly rent of $2,000 or less, 22% report that they have access to smart home technology compared with 32% of those paying over $2,000 in monthly rent.