If you have an apartment for rent, advertise the geek appeal as well as the curb appeal.

More and more often renters want a wireless community just as much as they want a garden community, according to the National Multi Housing Council (NMHC) survey of 1,000 renters, "Apartment Renter Technology Survey".

"In the future, apartment properties may be 'branded' as much for the quality of their Internet services as they are today for their curb appeal," said David Cardwell, NMHC's vice president of capital Markets and technology.

Some already are, or should be, according to the survey.

For example, many renters lead a transient lifestyle, moving more often than home owners. They believe they don't need a landline -- a telephone hard wired to a signal.

Emergency planners suggest having one in case of an emergency that could render cell phones inoperable, but only 58 percent of apartment homes have a landline and only 38 percent consider it their primary phone, the NMHC survey said.

However, 88 percent of those surveyed had a mobile phone, compared to 74 percent of all households.

If a renter can't get a signal in his apartment home, he or she may reconsider renewing the lease or may not text a positive recommendation about the community to his friends.

"The widespread use of cell phones poses new challenges for apartment owners whose structures block cell reception or are in a particular service provider's dead spot," said Cardwell.

The survey also found current renters are on the leading edge of setting the demand for technology services in rental homes.

• Virtually all, 94 percent of those surveyed, said they didn't choose their current rental because of technology amenities, but they also said high-speed Internet, good cell phone reception and a choice of service providers could be important factors in selecting their next home.

• Seventy-eight percent of respondents have computers in their apartments; 85 percent of those subscribe to high-speed Internet service -- cable, DSL or wireless.

• Sixty-nine percent of residents would like to live in an apartment community that offers a wireless hot spot. Properties near enough hot spots to give renters a signal are, well, hot.

• It's not just high-end luxury apartments that need to sell to tech-heads. Lower-income renters are just as likely to demand technology services and features.

• Renters still want face-to-face meets with managers.

  "By a factor of 500 percent, residents would prefer to communicate with their community's staff in person versus sending an e-mail or using web access. Calling the office was the second-most desired means of communicating with the apartment staff," the report said.

• Renters want to individually choose the technology services they want rather than be presented with all-in-one service. Only 15 percent said that they were "likely" or "very likely" to bundle their phone, video and Internet services with one provider.

Published: February 28, 2007

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A journalist for 35-years, Broderick Perkins parlayed an old-school daily newspaper career into a digital news service offering editorial content and consulting services. Perkins' San Jose, CA-based DeadlineNews Group includes the flagship news site, DeadlineNews.Com, offering real estate, personal finance and consumer journalism, and a backshop, the Deadline Newsroom.