Renters Embrace New Transparent Ratings on Apartments.com Listings

Renters are increasingly using ratings to guide their rental search, following a recent update to the rating system on Apartments.com.

In April, the site introduced a new rating system that relies solely on resident feedback, replacing a blended score that included the property’s CoStar building rating.

Since the launch of the updated ratings, Apartments.com has seen a 37 percent increase in renters filtering their search results by rating. During the first week following the rollout, communities experienced a 47 percent increase in first-time resident reviews, expanding the volume of resident feedback available to renters.

Listings without resident ratings now feature a prompt encouraging residents to leave a review.

The adoption aligns with expected renter behavior. More than 97 percent of renters say online ratings and reviews influence their apartment search decisions, according to the latest Apartments.com renter survey.

“When renters know how the residents of a community feel about living there, they’re more likely to act,” said Stuart Richens, vice president of product for Apartments.com. “This data underscores just how important ratings are to renters’ search and decision-making process.”