Why Seattle Rental Property Owners Are Considering A/C?

As a premiere Seattle property management company, we make it our duty to keep our clients informed about the issues that are important to landlords in Seattle and throughout the King and Snohomish counties. With this in mind, today’s topic focuses on the value of certain amenities for Seattle area rental properties that also has potential to get some landlords hot under the collar, namely the consideration of “air conditioning” and it’s value as seen by Seattle renters.

Despite having the most temperate summers in the country, more and more landlords are opting to install air conditioning for good reason. An amenities race is underway, spurred on by new-build apartments that are popping up all over the city and throughout King County.

Should you be concerned if your property doesn’t have air conditioning?
Do you need to get involved in the amenities arms race? These are just a few of the questions we will discuss and provide the answer to.

What’s the deal with air conditioning in Seattle rentals?
Traditionally, Seattle has fewer homes with air conditioning than most of the country. Before this decade, only 6% of all rentals in the metro area had A/C. But that number is growing fast. Seattle may be getting hotter, but there is another reason for the sudden explosion of A/C units.

The amenities race is here…
The city of Seattle is experiencing a record construction boom. Almost 10,000 new market-rate apartments are set to open in 2017. That’s nearly twice as many as any other year in the city’s history. And a lot of them have air conditioning. In fact, 25% of all apartments built in Seattle in the last decade have A/C.

But air conditioning is just the start of it. As new apartments continue to open, competition for tenants is fierce. And landlords are doing all they can to win the attention of renters. As a result, more and more are turning to the lure of certain amenities. A/C is chief among them, but so are rooftop decks, gyms, and dog parks.

And so is the heightened expectations of new residents
It’s not just the swell of new apartments that has got landlords hot and flustered, reaching for the phone to call the nearest HVAC company. Out-of-state renters are becoming increasingly common in the Pacific Northwest. And they bring with them high expectations. Anyone who has lived further down the coast or in the southern states expects air conditioning as standard. Landlords who are installing A/C would argue that they are only meeting the demands of tenants.

Do Seattle landlords have to install A/C?
Of course, landlords don’t have to install A/C units. The weather in the Pacific Northwest still doesn’t warrant the need for air conditioning in all rentals. But installing A/C might be something for landlords to bear in mind when they next come to renovating their properties. Not just to keep tenants comfortable, either. A/C can be a great way to attract new tenants, especially if your apartment is missing out on any other ‘essential’ amenities.

Please visit www.rentseattle.com or call us at (206) 523-0300 to speak with one of our knowledgeable Seattle area property managers.

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