Charging Has Become an Amenity Residents Look For
The demand signal is clear. In the 2024 NMHC and Grace Hill Renter Preferences Survey, covered by Multifamily Executive, 34% of renters said they’re interested in or won’t rent without EV charging, up from 27% just two years earlier.
Reporting from Marketplace found the same figure and noted that with more than 45 million U.S. households renting, a lot of future EV drivers will be looking to plug in where they live. Demand does vary by region, so the timeline isn’t identical everywhere, but the direction is consistent: charging is moving from novelty to expectation.
Why Charging Isn’t Like Other Amenities
Here’s what sets charging apart. A dog wash or a rooftop lounge is a feature you add to a building. Charging is infrastructure you build into it. It touches your parking, your power, and your day-to-day operations, and it’s meant to last for years. That’s why it pays to treat charging as part of the property itself rather than a bolt-on.
Planning it thoughtfully up front is far easier than retrofitting later, which is exactly why so many operators now talk about charging as a way to future-proof a property.
Related: Who Needs to Be in the Room for a Fleet Charging Decision
Fitting Charging Into the Resident Experience
A good amenity is one residents actually enjoy using, and charging is no different. That starts with matching the setup to how your community parks. Common-area stations, assigned spaces, and visitor charging each fit a different property, and flexible access control and billing options let you run whichever model makes sense.
It also depends on reliability, because a charger that’s out of service is worse than no amenity at all. That’s where EV charging management software earns its keep, giving your team real-time visibility into every station, simple access control, and the reports you need to keep things running smoothly.
At OpConnect, that reliability is the whole point. Our hardware is built in Portland, Oregon, backed by 24/7 support and monitoring and a 99.95% charger uptime record.
Related: What Residents Look for in EV Charging at Their Building
Making It Simple to Offer
The last piece of any amenity strategy is how much work it creates for you, and this is where the right partner matters. We design, install, support, and maintain the charging, so commercial EV charging installation doesn’t become a project your team has to run alone.
We start by assessing your property’s electrical capacity and parking layout alongside resident needs, design a setup that fits, install it with minimal disruption, and provide onboarding materials and ongoing support once it’s live.
For condominiums and HOAs, we handle the coordination that tends to slow these projects down. One accountable partner, from the first walkthrough to daily operation. Read more about our Multi-Family Solutions.
Related: Who Is Actually Asking for Charging at Your Location
Where Charging Fits in the Bigger Picture
Seen this way, EV charging isn’t just another line on the amenity list. It’s a forward-looking one. It helps attract and retain residents, supports green building certifications, and keeps your property ready for where the market is heading.
Reliable EV charging for businesses like yours is becoming part of what a competitive community offers. When you’re ready to fit it into your amenity strategy, we’re built to help you do it right.
Sources & Further Reading:
- Multifamily Executive – 5 Trends Shaping the Renter Landscape: https://www.multifamilyexecutive.com/property-management/apartment-trends/5-trends-shaping-the-renter-landscape_o
- Marketplace – More Renters Want to Charge EVs at Home. Some Landlords Want to Help Them Do It.: https://www.marketplace.org/story/2024/12/03/ev-chargers-apartment-renters-electric-vehicle-construction-plug