We asked, and our tenants answered. Earlier this year, June Homes and Outpost Group ran a tenant survey to better understand what renters are actually prioritizing right now. The results confirm something we’ve seen firsthand: the traditional rental market keeps missing the mark on what today’s renter needs.
Price, location, and flexibility: in that order
97% of respondents rated price as very important. 93% said the same about location. 57% called flexible leasing a must-have or highly important. These numbers aren’t surprising in isolation, but the combination tells the real story: renters aren’t willing to trade neighborhood quality to save money. They want both.
As Outpost Group CEO Sergii Starostin put it: “Renters are telling us exactly what they want: affordability, desirable neighborhoods, and flexibility. That combination has been difficult to find in traditional housing, but it’s exactly what we’re designed to provide.”
Nearly three-quarters of respondents reported a monthly budget of $1,000–$2,000, a range that barely covers a studio in most cities we operate in. Across our portfolio, fully furnished private rooms start around $775 in markets like Boston and D.C., and from $1,175 in New York, up to 40% below a comparable solo apartment in the same neighborhood.
Experienced, mobile, intentional
The survey also tells us who is renting today. About 65% of respondents are between 18 and 30. Full-time professionals make up 52%; students account for roughly a third. Only 20% are first-time renters, so these are people who know the market.
And they’re moving with purpose: 81% relocated for a specific reason, like a new job, a school program, a city change. A rigid 12-month lease simply doesn’t fit that reality.
What this means for how we build
The survey findings reinforce what June Homes was built around: furnished rooms in great neighborhoods, flexible terms, no broker fees, a direct response to what renters have been asking for. We plan to keep running these surveys. The data shapes how we think about our homes, our markets, and what we build next.
