The multifamily construction market may have cooled in recent years, but the amenities war remains hot among developers and builders in the most competitive markets. This is especially true in the luxury rental sector, where high-end amenities, impeccable design, and service excellence are must-haves to command premium rental rates among discerning luxury consumers.

The BD+C editorial team has been tracking amenity trends in the U.S. multifamily housing sector for more than a decade with our 2026 Multifamily Amenities Survey.

Now in the fourth edition, the 2026 Multifamily Amenities Survey tracks the popularity of 125+ amenities in today’s developments across nine categories:

• children’s services
• convenience amenities
• indoor amenities
• outdoor amenities
• quality of life amenities
• recreation amenities
• security services
• services for pets, and
• technology services. 

More than 120 multifamily developers and design and construction professionals have taken the survey so far. Early results suggest the continued importance of offering an in-unit washer/dryer (specified on projects by 76% of respondents), convenience services like EV charging stations (65%) and bicycle storage (63%), and entertainment amenities like outdoor pools (64%), fire pits and grilling areas (65%), lounges (80%), and cabanas (47%). 

One of the most-telling questions asks developers and AEC professionals about their “most significant innovation in the last 12-24 months” in multifamily amenities and features. This is where we discover emerging and trending amenities for the next generation of multifamily developments. Some highlights from the early results include: 

Stadium pools. Inspired by experiential, party-style pool decks like Stadium Swim at Circa Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, one multifamily developer invested $125,000 on a jumbo LED display in the pool area at its luxury rental property for sporting events, concerts, and other gatherings.

Airbnb-style units. One developer offers its model apartments as rentable Airbnb-style units for use by tenants’ families while visiting.

Branded residential, including a higher level of concierge services and programming. One multifamily property owner hired an activity director to help get tenants “talking, laughing, engaging, and enjoying time together—no devices.”

Multifamily professionals: Please share your expertise! 
The 2026 Multifamily Amenities Survey is still open for participation. We invite all multifamily sector professionals to participate in the short survey (a seven-minute commitment). The final results will be published in the 2026 Multifamily Annual Report, set to go live on BDCnetwork.com in late October. Please take the survey at: BDCnetwork.com/MFsurvey26.