Instant Service Is the New Amenity
From Dorm to Demand: Why Multifamily Is About to Get Schooled by Gen Z Renters
Student housing didn’t just house Gen Z—it taught them what service at the speed of now looks like. After years of living in communities where work orders close the same day, the Wi-Fi never goes down and the on-site team knows your name and your Instagram handle, this generation is entering the conventional market with a new baseline for service, design, and experience.
For owners and operators, that means expectations shaped in college are reshaping market-rate housing. To win with Gen Z residents, you will need to borrow from hospitality’s playbook, where responsiveness is a promise, personalization is expected, and experience is everything.
Instant Service Is the New Amenity
Gen Z’s worldview is built on immediacy. They grew up with instant replies, same-day shipping, and one-tap everything, and they expect housing to operate at the same tempo.
In student housing, service isn’t just delivered—it’s measured. Repairs are closed out the same day, response times are tracked like revenue, and every request has a structured follow-up. Efficiency is expected, not applauded. As CLS Living’s Arizona-based general manager Terence Jackson describes, “If a resident isn’t home when maintenance completes a request, we leave a handwritten card in the space where the work was done and follow up to confirm satisfaction.”
That human touch—a small gesture rooted in hospitality—translates directly to loyalty. In a recent National Apartment Association study, properties with strong maintenance satisfaction saw renewal rates climb by nearly 20 percentage points compared with those with lagging service.
By contrast, conventional housing too often treats maintenance as a back-office chore. For market-rate operators, the message is simple: Faster service isn’t just nice to have—it’s mission-critical.
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Design for Life, Not for Brochure Shots
The era of amenity theater is ending. The game rooms and movie lounges that once looked impressive in brochures now sit empty, while residents crowd coworking tables and fitness studios.
Student housing revealed what truly drives engagement: spaces and programs that fit seamlessly into daily routines, like a study lounge that acts as a quiet workspace Monday through Friday but turns into a networking mixer or “finals fuel” snack station during peak moments. The most successful communities pair flexible design with intentional activation—coworking areas that host pop-up résumé workshops, fitness studios that double as wellness classrooms, and lounges that transform into study halls or makerspaces.
Gen Z may be digitally native, but they still crave in-person connection. Programming matters, but it has to feel purposeful, not perfunctory. Gen Z renters show up for experiences that reflect their lifestyles—yoga and breathwork classes, cooking demos, or volunteer events that tie back to community. In fact, nearly 70% of Gen Z renters say they’re more likely to renew in communities that host regular social or wellness programming.
The blend of adaptable spaces and meaningful activity defines what Gen Z considers luxury. This cohort of renters values experiences that feel genuine and purposeful, and when design and activation reflect how residents actually live, communities see the payoff in engagement and renewals.
Tech That Enables Humanity
There is a misconception that Gen Z wants an entirely digital experience. The reality: They want conveniences like digital access keys and mobile maintenance support, but they expect human responsiveness when things go wrong. Technology should act as another service layer—the quiet infrastructure that accelerates response time and eliminates friction.
Conventional operators are increasingly integrating artificial intelligence (AI) systems to manage routine calls and track maintenance tickets, freeing on-site teams to focus on residents. But the differentiator isn’t automation itself—it’s how teams use the time it gives back.
“Technology frees up your team to be more human—to actually know residents, anticipate their needs, and solve problems before they escalate,” notes Jessica Nix, chief marketing officer of CLS Living. “In hospitality, there’s always a way to turn a limitation into an opportunity to care, and that’s the standard we aim for.”
CLS Living’s service mindset mirrors hospitality’s best practice: Use technology to anticipate needs, not avoid them. In hotels, digital check-in is followed by a warm greeting in the lobby. In multifamily, it means instant app notifications supported by a follow-up call that says, “We took care of it. Are you happy with the fix?”
That approach isn’t accidental. CLS Living modeled its internal training program after the Forbes Travel Guide standards used by five-star hotels, teaching on-site teams to recognize residents by name, close the loop on every interaction, and turn ordinary exchanges into exceptional experiences.
The result is efficiency without erosion of empathy—a balance the next generation of renters will reward.
A New Standard, Not a Spoiled Generation
It is tempting to say student housing has “spoiled” Gen Z, but the truth is, this generation now understands what a hospitality-grade living experience should feel like: service, design, and technology aligned to deliver ease. Gen Z renters will carry that benchmark into every lease they sign.
That shift is already reshaping the conventional market. Gen Z represents nearly half of the new renters entering conventional. They are informed, vocal, and brand-loyal when treated well.
For operators, the takeaway is clear: Service is the new differentiator. Design should be lived in, not looked at. And technology should make the human touch faster, not fade it out.
Hospitality taught us that experience drives retention. Student housing proved it at scale. Now, it is multifamily’s turn to take that lesson and make it the industry standard.
Source: Multifamily Executive
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