Over 57% Question the Structural Integrity of Their Building, According to PropertyNest Survey

The Miami building collapse has put a focus on the structural safety of buildings.

More than 57% of renters and homeowners in the United States have questions or are unsure about the structural integrity of their building, according to a newly published study by PropertyNest. 42.8 percent are fully confident in their building’s stability based on data by the real estate listing and services company.

In its latest industry study PropertyNest asked: “In light of the recent condo collapse in Miami, if you live in an apartment building has it made you question or doubt the structural stability of your building?”.

Here are the key results

• A surprising 11.2% of respondents confirmed that their apartment buildings had structural issues. This translates to nearly 4.5 million people across the United States.
• 14.7% of respondents began questioning their building’s structural integrity after the building collapse. Women made up a larger percentage of this group at 62.6% of the respondents. Compare this to only 5.9% who had doubts before the event.
• At just 42%, less than half of survey respondents felt fully confident in their building’s structural soundness after the building collapse in Miami. The second most popular response at 19% were respondents who were uncertain but would assume that their buildings were fine.
• Both female and male respondents between the ages of 55-64 made up the largest group that were dwelling in buildings with structural issues making up about a quarter of all respondents in this category.
• Confidence level in the structural integrity of buildings correlated with age. With each older age group, more respondents were likely to say that they were fully confident. Only 32% of respondents ages 18-24 would say they were confident versus 48.6% of those over the age of 65.
• In contrast, younger respondents were more likely to respond saying that they were unsure but guessed it was okay.

“Our survey results show that structural issues have become a concern nationwide,” said Ruth Shin, founder and CEO of PropertyNest.  The lack of oversight of building regulations and security protocols could potentially be a more widespread problem. In addition, existing building regulations may not be sufficient to protect homeowners and renters.”

Survey Methodology: PropertyNest conducted a national online survey on if the news of the Miami condo collapse affected their confidence in their own building’s stability from July 5 to July 25, 2021. 1,000 respondents ages 18 and older participated with a margin of error of +/- 2.1%.

See details here: https://www.propertynest.com/blog/data/survey-buildings-structural-issues/