The growing popularity of purpose-built student housing has created what some call an amenities race, as student housing operators compete to lure in student renters.

With no end in sight, this amenities race is one where each new purpose-built student housing center attempts to trump its competition by offering anything from lavish recreational facilities to tanning beds. But are these unique offerings and non-traditional amenities what student renters really want? Some would argue no.

While a heated indoor pool and decked-out recreational room for residents may sound nice, students are often more concerned about the rental rate and distance to campus. In 2012, J Turner Research surveyed over 11,000 students and discovered that the top two most important factors for students when selecting an apartment were rental rate (47%) and location – specifically proximity to campus (22%). Surprisingly only 2% of respondents indicated that community features and amenities were most important when selecting an apartment. The survey also asked parents the same questions and only 1% of parents indicated that community features and amenities were the most important factor. The top two priorities for parents were security (34%) and location – again proximity to campus (29%).

It’s also interesting to note that in this survey, both students and parents were asked what service or utility upgrade they were willing to pay more for.  It was surprising to see that the top ranking responses was none (no service/utility upgrade), with parents clocking in at 42% and students at 26%.

To add to these findings, in 2013, J Turner Research conducted another study with a similar scope of identifying residential preferences in student housing design and amenities. Students were asked to rank their favorite amenities from a list of eight possible choices. Luxury amenities and upgrades ranked rather poorly:

#1 – Larger Units

#2 – In-Unit Washer/Dryer

#3 – Storage Space

#4 – Fitness Center

#5 – Pool

#6 – Community Café

#7 – Game Room

#8 – Training Room

This is not to say that luxury amenities and upgrades should be dismissed as features that aren’t important to students, but it is evident that they don’t necessarily rank at the top of the list.

Developers of purpose-built student housing should take note that while luxury amenities are great selling features, they aren’t necessarily the most important deciding factors for both students and parents. The old saying of ‘location, location, location’ still echoes strong in student housing.

While the amenities race shows no sign of cooling off, it’s important for developers not to forget about the more traditional apartment features and offerings that still hold great importance to student tenants.