The Optus Renter of the Future Report

We were delighted to have been commissioned by Optus to uncover the attitudes, behaviours and technology trends of Australian renters, to develop the Renter of the Future Report. This national research has been launched in partnership with Optus and their Home Wireless Broadband Internet offering, and revealed some interesting insights into who is renting, what defines their situation and what they are looking for in a rental property.

The report highlights that 3 in 10 renters are ‘choice renters’. “There’s this idea that the great Aussie dream is to move into a home that you own and if you haven’t done that then the dream hasn’t come true for you. But with generational change that’s just not true. You’ve got a lot of people who are the choice renters because they prefer the lifestyle. And they themselves might be landlords so financially they’re rocketing ahead.” – Mark McCrindle.

30% of Australians rent – that’s more than own their own home outright and they are twice as likely to be living in medium and high density housing than the average Australian, are almost years younger, and move much more frequently – on average every 1.8 years.

Renters are also tech-savvy, the study showed. “Renters comprise nearly a third of Australian households. For the modern Aussie renter technology underpins and has become completely fused with their lifestyle. This group is among the first to jump onto new technologies, keeping abreast of the latest trends and, where possible, the latest devices. Accessing the internet quickly from their new rental property is a must for them.” – Mark McCrindle.

Highlighting the lifestyle aspects that Australians renters seek, the top 3 best things they like about renting are:

  1. The ability to change locations easily (38%)
  2. Easier to upsize or downsize as needed (24%)
  3. Flexibility to travel for extended periods of time (18%)

When asked to list their top five lifestyle features in a home, Aussies revealed what is most important to them in a rental property:

  1. Parking (38%)
  2. Pet-friendly (32%)
  3. Cable internet (31%)
  4. A strong mobile signal (25%)
  5. Number of power points in a room (22%)

Find out more about the findings of the study in the below infographic:

This research in the media

Australia Towards 2031

This essential report is full of insights to help businesses and organisations explore the demographic, consumer and behavioural trends shaping the nation.