Atlanta renters think rooftop decks, dog-grooming stations are crucial, study finds

Let’s take a moment to honor a few of the ridiculous—or ridiculously awesome—perks that living in new Atlanta high-rises entails:

There’s the large internal park at Alta Midtown, for instance. Or the onsite arcade and poolside Jumbotron at University House, catering to Georgia Tech scholars. And lest we forget the 1/8th-mile running track in the sky that circles forthcoming Modera Midtown’s seventh floor.

It’s all part of what’s being called amenities warfare, producing mind-boggling bait for millennials that garden-apartment dwellers of yesteryear probably couldn’t conceive of. But none of those things are paramount for Atlanta renters these days, according to a report released in advance of the National Apartment Association's Education Conference here next week.

Atlanta’s renting legions are most keen on rooftop decks.

Followed by dog-grooming areas. And then quartz countertops.

That’s according to the National Apartment Association, which used data by Enodo Score, a real estate predictive analytics company.

Curbed Atlanta

In cities across America, most renters covet rooftop decks, but Atlanta was alone in its adoration of pooch-pampering stations and quartzite. Those amenities didn’t rank in the top 10 of any of 13 markets studied. Besides Atlanta.

For the joy of having roof decks just an elevator ride away, Atlantans are willing to fork over $58 more per month, found researchers in a study called “Adding Value in the Age of Amenities Wars.”

The majority of Atlanta’s top 10 desires were at the community level—that is, outside the apartment itself and geared toward bringing people together (think: fire pit), in many cases.

Just 5 percent of Atlanta rentals were found to have floor-to-ceiling windows, which were the fourth most coveted amenity.

The top 10 is shown below, proving that Atlanta renters basically expect their living quarters to function as mini cities these days.

• Adding Value in the Age of Amenities Wars [NPA]
• Photos: Alta Midtown filling up thanks to unique amenity package [Curbed Atlanta]