Renters Get a Bad Rap

Renters frequently get a bad rap as undesirable neighbors, but new research finds that this unsavory reputation is not deserved.

The National Multi Housing Council, which represents parts of the apartment industry, said it found that renters are more socially engaged in their neighborhoods than homeowners and equally as attached to their communities.

According to the council, 33 percent of renters spend at least one social evening a week with someone who lives in the neighborhood compared with 17 percent of homeowners. While 55 percent of homeowners go to church at least once a month, only 44 percent of renters do. But about 60 percent of both groups say they feel close to their city or town.

The council compiled the information from the General Social Survey done by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago.