Get Grooven At A Glance
- Roughly 13 percent of apartment residents already live with an in-unit smart amenity package, and demand keeps climbing.
- 70 percent of Gen Z residents call a smart device app valuable, compared to 43 percent of Boomers.
- 83 percent of apartment renters and 91 percent of condo owners say their technology amenity fee is worth the cost.
- Residents who pay for smart home devices and services report higher property satisfaction, 77 percent, compared to 68 percent among residents without those fees.
- Groove Technology Solutions designs and installs smart building and access control technology specific to the multifamily industry.
Why This Amenity Research Still Matters for MDU Properties
Last year, Groove collaborated with Parks Associates on a PropTech white paper entitled “Resident Demand for Technology, Evaluating Amenity Fees.” This paper looks closely at how residents view smart amenities and how properties are funding those investments through amenity fees. The trends it uncovered continue to play out across the multifamily industry today, as elevated supply and rising vacancy raise the stakes for attracting and retaining residents. In this article, we’ll pull out the findings most relevant to multifamily owners and managers making amenity decisions right now, along with fresh data from a related white paper on access control and building intelligence.
Smart Amenities Are Becoming Standard in Multifamily Housing
Competition in the multifamily housing market is rising. A wave of new construction that started during the pandemic is now hitting the market, and it is pushing existing properties to compete harder for residents and upgrade their amenity offerings.
Smart apartment technology has become one of the main ways properties respond to that pressure. Groove’s white paper with Parks Associates found that as of 2024, roughly 13 percent of apartment residents already live in a unit with an in-unit smart amenity package, which can encompass devices such as smart thermostats, smart door locks, video doorbells, smart lighting, and connected smoke detectors.
For many renters, especially younger ones, these features are what they’ve come to expect in a rental. Properties that delay adoption risk falling behind on both resident expectations and day-to-day operational performance.
Resident Interest in Smart Technology Varies by Generation
Not every resident values smart technology the same way, and owners planning amenity investments need to understand that gap.
Parks Associates asked current apartment residents with smart amenity packages how valuable they find a resident app that controls smart devices like lights, locks, and thermostats. The responses clearly varied by generation.
- Gen Z – 70 percent rated the app valuable.
- Millennials – 56 percent rated the app valuable.
- Gen X – 53 percent rated the app valuable.
- Boomers – 43 percent rated the app valuable.
That gap matters for how properties market and communicate their smart amenities. Younger residents respond well to lifestyle and convenience framing, while older residents may respond more to messaging built around security, reliability, and peace of mind. A single generic pitch for smart technology will not land the same way across a resident base with this much variation in interest.
Interest is not limited to in-unit devices either. Controlled property access ranks among the most valued amenities across the resident base, with roughly two-thirds of prospective residents rating it important when evaluating a new home, according to research from DOOR and Parks Associates. Nearly half of residents specifically value the ability to unlock doors or gates using a phone or smart watch.
Residents Say Smart Amenity Fees Are Worth The Cost
For owners hesitant to introduce a technology amenity fee, the research offers a clear answer. The large majority of residents already paying for these amenities say the cost is worth it.
Parks Associates found that 83 percent of apartment renters and 91 percent of condo owners who pay a technology amenity fee report that the fee is worth the cost. Satisfaction tracks in the same direction. 77 percent of residents who pay for smart home devices and services report higher satisfaction with their property, compared to 68 percent among residents without those fees.
The data suggests that charging for smart amenities separately, rather than folding the cost into base rent, can help residents recognize the value of what they are getting, which supports stronger resident retention over time.
How a property funds that investment in the first place is its own decision. Groove’s white paper, “OpEx vs. CapEx: A Smarter Way to Fund Multifamily Property Technology”, looks at why traditional capital expenditure models often struggle to keep pace with fast-changing technology, and how an operational expenditure approach can give owners more flexibility.
Access Control Is Becoming a Core Expectation, Not an Extra
Owners are responding to that demand. Research from DOOR and Parks Associates found that 70 percent of multifamily companies already have smart door locks installed in at least one property, a figure that climbs to 91 percent among companies with luxury properties in their portfolio.
Mobile access control use is growing too. The share of residents using a mobile app to unlock doors or gates has increased 6 percentage points since 2021, now reaching 25 percent of residents.
The research frames this shift as more than a security upgrade. Cloud-based access control systems give operators real-time visibility across a portfolio, reduce the recurring cost of rekeying and physical key replacement, and cut down on site workload for leaner property teams. For owners, access control is increasingly an operational tool as much as a resident amenity.
What This Data Means for Property Owners and Managers
The clearest theme across the research is that residents are willing to pay for smart amenities, provided two conditions are met. First, residents need to see the cost as a separate fee for specific smart technology, rather than a cost quietly folded into overall rent. Residents who pay a distinct technology amenity fee report higher satisfaction than those without one, suggesting that seeing the line item helps them recognize the value of what they are getting.
Second, the amenity has to match what that particular resident base actually wants. A property leasing primarily to younger residents may see stronger returns emphasizing app-based control and lifestyle features, while a property with an older resident base may see stronger returns emphasizing reliability and security.
Taken together, the data points to a straightforward takeaway for owners and managers. Smart amenities and technology amenity fees work best when the offering is matched to resident demographics and separate from the rent.
Get the Full Research
The data in this article draws from two research collaborations Groove has supported alongside DOOR and Parks Associates. For a deeper look at the full findings, download the white papers below.
- Resident Demand for Technology: Evaluating Amenity Fees – A closer look at resident willingness to pay, fee benchmarks across major metro areas (LA, NYC, and DFW), and how properties are funding technology amenities.
- From Smart Home to Building Intelligence – A roadmap for how access control and connected smart technologies are reshaping multifamily operations at the portfolio level.
- OpEx vs. CapEx, A Smarter Way to Fund Multifamily Property Technology – A practical framework for deciding how to fund property technology investments.
A Technology Partner That Understands Resident Expectations
Setting the right amenity strategy takes more than just installing smart devices. It takes a partner who understands how residents across generations actually want to use their technology, and who can design and support systems that reflect that.
Groove works with multifamily owners and managers nationwide in student housing developments, apartment complexes, and senior living communities to provide property technology solutions. As your trusted PropTech partner, we handle everything from installation through ongoing support, so properties can offer smart technology that residents genuinely value.
Ready to build an amenity and PropTech strategy that fits your residents and your bottom line? Contact Groove Technology Solutions to talk through what makes sense for your property.
