Smart Amenities Tenants Pay More For in 2025 – From EV Chargers to Package Lockers

The renter walks into a building with a silent checklist: charging bays for an electric vehicle, parcel lockers that never lock up a leasing lobby, a thermostat that knows when nobody’s home. A growing share will pay extra - sometimes far more than the typical annual rent hike, to secure these conveniences. For developers and first-time multifamily investors, that willingness translates into higher net operating income (NOI) and stickier occupancy, provided the right items make it into the capital plan.

Why “Smart” Now Commands a Premium

Three converging forces reshaped amenity math during the past 24 months:

1. Electrification of transport. Battery-electric market share passed 7% of new U.S. vehicle sales in spring 2025, pushing demand for residential charging deeper into the mainstream.

2. Digital-first lifestyles. Nearly 90% of renters describe high-speed internet as “important” to their leasing decision, and many reject properties that cannot guarantee it.

3. Sustainability expectations. More than 60% of residents, led by Millennials and Gen Z, are ready to pay more for environmentally friendly communities.

When apartment shoppers keep these priorities in mind, amenities once treated as perks become binary “yes/no” filters. Buildings that check the boxes capture rent premiums; those that do not risk discounts or longer vacancies.

Premium Snapshot

Amenity	Share of renters seeking or willing to pay	Typical premium*	Ancillary-revenue angle
EV charging bay	27% express active interest; average extra rent $28.12 per month	$28	Usage fees can add a second income stream.
Smart home bundle (locks, cams, thermostats)	65% ready to pay extra; 52% fine with $20+ per month	$20-40	Raises renewal intent by 57%.
Smart thermostats (stand-alone)	72% willing to pay monthly premium	$15-25	Energy dashboards support ESG reporting.
Package lockers/rooms	78% prefer lockers; absence trims rents 1-3%	$10-15 or amenity fee	Cuts staff hours up to 24 per week.
Bulk gig-fiber	Nearly 90% call it “important”; NOI gain averages $25 per occupied unit	$25	Six-times the profit of legacy revenue-share deals.

*Illustrative U.S. averages drawn from national surveys and operator case studies.

EV Chargers: The New Parking Upgrade

With electric adoption accelerating across income bands, a charger in the parking deck delivers both retention and an immediate cash lift. Residents report a mean willingness to add roughly $28 per month for dedicated access, and upscale buildings in California have already outfitted 80% of spaces to stay competitive.

Investment lens:

• Level-2 dual-port hardware plus load-management software runs roughly $6,000 all-in.

• A $28 premium on 50% of spaces in a 250-unit project can generate $42,000 in annual top-line rent, retiring capital in fewer than four years - even before per-kWh fees.

Thermostats That Think

Smart climate control ranks near the top of must-have lists: 56% of renters actively ask for it, and 72% say they will pay more. Beyond comfort, operators gain remote vacancy-mode settings that lower common-area usage and reduce energy spend on vacant units.

Locks, Cameras and Friction-Free Access

Sixty-nine percent of renters now value networked security cameras; 58% want keyless entry. These devices shorten self-tour set-up, lower rekey costs and reduce lost-key calls. Buildings adopting a full access-control stack report renewal-rate lifts of 5-7 basis points, worth millions on large portfolios.

Fiber as Infrastructure, Not a Concession

Bulk fiber agreements flipped from “nice discount” to necessity once remote and hybrid work settled in. A well-negotiated contract can net owners an average of $25 per unit each month, six times the margin of older retail-share models. Because service is community-wide, residents see uniform speeds and seamless onboarding, fuel for high online-review scores.

Package Lockers: No Longer Just Stress Relief for Staff

E-commerce volume keeps rising 5-10% annually. In 2025, 78% of residents prefer smart lockers as their primary delivery option, while properties without any secure solution rent at one to three percent lower rates.

Operational upside:

• Staff reclaim up to 24 hours a week once manual parcel handling disappears.

• Many owners roll a $10–15 amenity fee into rent, recouping capital inside 24 months.

Sustainability Tech: Green Meets Greenbacks

Energy dashboards, leak sensors and load-shedding lighting link directly to the values of younger cohorts, 60% pay extra for buildings with documented eco-performance. Cap-Ex aimed at measurable savings now doubles as a marketing hook and a hedge against tightening local carbon rules.

Investor Checklist for 2025 Budgets

1. Audit parking for conduit capacity → plan scalable charger clusters.

2. Bundle smart-home devices (thermostat + lock + camera) under one platform to simplify app fatigue.

3. Renegotiate internet with a bulk or managed Wi-Fi model that embeds revenue share.

4. Install parcel lockers sized for growth in grocery and oversized items.

5. Track utility data to convert savings into ESG metrics attractive to capital partners.

Renters are rewriting the amenity hierarchy, and the premium dollars follow their choices. Smart infrastructure - chargers, sensors, connected hardware, now shapes both rent rolls and valuation. For a sponsor entering the multifamily sector in 2025, allocating capital toward the amenities above is not just defensible; it is the shortest route to stronger NOI and a defensible exit cap.

Credit: (PropTech, Smart Rent, CRE Daily)

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