Socializing a Big Deal for Gen Z, Including at Apartment Communities

Take care of their posse, and you’ll take care of your Gen Z residents.

Uniquely rising on the list of preferences for this new, incoming demographic of those 24 or younger, is the ability to socialize and to meet in small groups.

This was among the many behavioral tendencies discussed about these “Zoomers,” as they are also referred, during the MFE Concept Community: Tomorrow’s Renter webinar in late September.

“Gen Z is much more interested in forming a ‘posse’ than a household,” said Daniel Gehman, a principal at Danielian Associates Architects + Planners. “They prefer social clusters. It’s important to them to be able to be with their friends, their besties, their BFFs. As a group, they customize their own traditions.

“They like to blur the boundaries between inside and outside and like to blend public and private spaces. They like larger common area spaces where rollup garage doors are the dividing line between the indoors and outdoors.

“They prefer that their common areas are disaggregated into smallish spaces and bays that comfortably seat three or four people or maybe six to eight. We can call them posse pods. This design allows segmentation, but it also means they are all still together and can move about. It enables random encounters to occur and gives them a chance to meet their neighbors.”

And they also embrace co-working spaces, especially if that space also provides other opportunities such as food and drink or again a chance to socialize quietly in small groups. For them, this is where posse meets business intent, Gehman said.

Conversely, they prefer to do more things in their home than in public, such as workout routines, he added. There is even a growing popularity for residents to have personal trainers come to their home to assist their workouts.

Otherwise, J Turner’s research “The Next-Gen Renter: 2020 and Beyond” shows that 54% of residents expect a full-service gym.

J Turner’s data was collected in late 2019 and includes 24,000 responses from 543 properties, representing 13 national companies. The average age of the Gen Z respondents was 21.84 years, and their average rent was $1,079.

Also referred to as “iGen,” this group delays marriage and remains wed to the urban lifestyle, so “the urban core is not dead,” Gehman said, speaking on the potential trend that renters are “fleeing to the suburbs.” Another indication is that Gen Z listed parking features at or near the bottom of their preference lists in the J Turner report.

“They prefer living downtown—at least for about eight years or until they have two children— then, it’s off to the suburbs,” Gehman noted.

For now, though, “me time” for this group is spent on social events, with those related to wellness (such as yoga), holiday and pool parties, and taking localized cooking classes rated highly.

More Frugal Than You Think

No one should be surprised to find that technology also dominates their lifestyles, but also in their DNA is a heavy dose of frugality. Financial matters are important to them, and it starts with saving money on energy. They seek EPA’s Energy Star ratings on appliances, wanting to cut their utility bills.

Nonetheless, those in this demographic group are willing to pay a bit extra in rent for a few apartment home attributes, according to J Turner’s research. Namely:

• $54 for a large balcony that fits two chairs and a sofa;
• $52 for having hardwood floors throughout the apartment; and
• $48 for a larger (7×9 feet) bathroom with glass shower doors.

More than a quarter of Gen Zs are willing to pay extra for some perks such as smart lock enabled lockers (28%) and in-unit deliveries (26%). On the contrary, 29% of this generation is not willing to pay additional for any package delivery solutions.

Also requesting the chance to “do it online,” they wish to be provided one community app for their smart phone that would take care of many apartment-life functions such as work orders, rent payment, package delivery notification, and social events. Other highly rated “wants” are energy-saving appliances, smart thermostats, and keyless entry.

Air, ‘Grit,’ and Dirt

Erin Hatcher, LEED AP, CDT, vice president of sustainability at AMLI, has been surveying her residents annually for several years.
Asked about their attitudes about the environment and their living space, recycling is the behavior they most agree with, the survey shows, although their ability to properly sort their recyclables can be a challenge, Hatcher said.

Gehman said Gen Z holds a lot of ethical sensibilities and are “grittier” than most millennials. They are very interested in sourcing materials, whether it’s building materials or food and drink, or anything, he said.

AMLI’s most recent survey shows these Gen Z sustainability requests at the top of the list: Composting, community gardens, recycling improvements, and energy-saving appliances.

Because of potential difficulty in upkeep the community gardens, their popularity measures greater among residents than the property staff, Hatcher said.

Gehman spoke of how residents are eager to plant and wait about six weeks for the first vegetables to come out of the ground, but not so much beyond that.

“They don’t tend their garden, which can become overcome with weeds, which then makes them an eyesore,” he said.

Hatcher said one option is to outsource the garden management, hiring a company to pull the herbs and vegetables, share them with the residents, and maintain the soil overall. But doing so can be expensive, she said.

Pet adoption has been hugely popular during the COVID-19 period. In Los Angeles, about 70% of residents own animals, Gehman said. Dog runs are built, and are popular, but again, upkeep can be challenging.

“You have to prevent them from becoming latrine runs,” he said

Keeping Their Distance

Co-living continues to grow in popularity, especially outside of the U.S. The average age of co-living residents is 29. They want to be in city areas, but are really seeing that rent growth is exceeding wage growth, so they have to find something that is affordable.

Co-living has common spaces, and it can be sectioned to meet social distancing. Keep in mind, they do still have private bedrooms, which is a way to cautiously avoid being too close to one another.