American renters still are looking to move, even as a pandemic causes mass closures across the country. In a survey of 6,000 people searching for rentals, 56% said that finding an apartment remains a priority despite the COVID-19 outbreak, according to the results published by RentCafe, a rental listing service.
Finding an apartment remains a priority for many of the renters surveyed. Forty-five percent of respondents said they have no concerns about moving during this time. Sixty percent of those surveyed also said they have no intention of postpone their move either.
Nearly half of respondents also reported no changes in their renting preferences. For those who said it has had an impact, 28% of renters said they’d be looking for something cheaper than what they were trying to find initially. Also, 15% of respondents said they would pay closer attention to how clean a rental is.
Despite shutdowns across the country, the renters are still searching. They report using online tools to narrow their searches. Seventeen percent said they are relying on online pictures or virtual tours, while 12% have decided to pick whatever is easiest in order to speed their moving process.
“These survey results go to show that, whether it’s because of optimism, forced circumstances or other personal reasons, finding a home takes priority” even during the fight against the virus, RentCafe notes in its report. “But things tend to develop fast in times of crisis, and as such, we’ll be interested to see how the renter perception changes as things progress.”
Source: “Survey of Renter Perception on Moving During COVID-19 Pandemic Indicates Surprising Optimism,” RentCafe Blog (March 23, 2020)
