Try as the industry might, apartment communities are struggling to make the search for an apartment a fun one.

This, according to 200 respondents to an online survey conducted June 1 to July 15 who indicated that they “always plan to be a renter,” completing a 50-question survey from Roost.

When asked to define their experience with one word. It’s mostly a negative one. “Frustrating came out on top at 52 percent, followed by “challenging” (44%) and “daunting” (44%). Those that chose “simple” registered at just 4 percent. “Exciting” was chosen by 17 percent and “fun” by 13 percent.

Asked for their top challenge about the rental application process, “determining which landlords are good/bad” was indicated by 43 percent; followed by “having first/last months’ rent” and “finding the right residence,” each at 39 percent.

Also measured from these respondents, 73 percent said they are living paycheck-to-paycheck and 5 percent say they are “barely making ends meet and at risk every month or not making rent.” Another 5 percent indicated that they “have several months of living expenses saved.”

Three-fourths (75%) of the respondents listed an annual salary of between $25,000 and $50,000 and nearly two-thirds (63%) are ages 25 to 44.

Among topics of interest indicated by this group, 43 percent checked the box for “how to save money” and “where to find fast cash.” Next on the list were “Handling personal finances” and “how to build better credit” at 33 percent.

“Many Americans – especially renters – are in a tough economic situation now, and for the foreseeable future, given the uncertainty about employment and lifestyle because of COVID-19,” says Chanin Ballance, Co-founder, Roost.

Offered the choice of 5 options that would help them have more insight the apartment rental process, most said they are most interested in learning “how to select the right renters’ insurance” (43%) and want to gain a “greater understanding of renters’ rights” (43%) and “how to life a better life (43%).

Other learning categories ranked highly were “how to determine which landlords are good/bad” (38%); and “how to determine how much rent I can afford” (33 percent); “how to get my security deposit back” (33 percent); and “the biggest mistakes renters make” (33 percent).