Differences in conventional and seniors-oriented apartment management

Abstract

PurposeFrom the consumer side, this paper aims to highlight some of the various characteristics that older renters seek out from their apartment buildings, relative to conventional multifamily residential buildings and, from the operational side, to examine some of the costs involved in daily operation of such buildings.Design/methodology/approachThe Rental Housing Finance Survey provides data that enables scholars to test empirical differences in amenities and costs between senior-oriented communities and other apartment buildings.FindingsOccupancy rates outpace the rate for all other apartment communities. Regarding amenities, senior apartment communities are more likely than other communities to have a fitness center on premises, but less likely to have a swimming pool. Market value for senior properties is usually less than properties marketed toward multi-family property tenants. This difference may be due to a higher pattern of both operating/capital expenses within senior communities. Part of these increases in operating costs is due to a higher propensity to hire professional management companies and a higher fee for managing senior apartment communities.Originality/valueLiterature on seniors living within apartment communities is somewhat sparse, particularly regarding the operational aspects of managing apartment communities. There is a dearth of information on industry success measurements known as operating and capital expenditures. This study triangulates multiple sources of data to investigate differences in cost of senior housing apartment communities, as well as amenity structures.