The Single-Family Rental (SFR) market has evolved dramatically over the past decade, from an asset class dominated by scattered mom-and-pop ownership to one increasingly defined by institutional portfolios, technology-driven operations, and resident experience as a differentiator. But one major amenity remains stuck in a legacy model: internet service.
Unlike utilities, maintenance, or rent collection, internet access has largely remained fragmented, retail-driven, and resident-managed. For owners and operators who pride themselves on operational consistency and portfolio optimization, that’s a missed opportunity.
The Growing Gap Between Expectation and Experience
Today’s SFR residents expect more than four walls and a roof—they expect move-in ready living. And that includes internet. Residents don't want to shop for providers, schedule installations, or wait a week for service to start. Meanwhile, operators don’t want to be caught in the middle of missed appointments or support tickets they can't resolve.
At the same time, SFR operators are under pressure to drive ancillary revenue without adding burden to site teams or central operations. Traditional marketing agreements with ISPs offer some upside—but they rarely scale, often require juggling multiple provider relationships, and don’t deliver a consistent experience across the portfolio.
What’s Needed: Simplicity, Scale, and Control
What the SFR space needs may not be another lease add-on or traditional telecom agreement approach. It needs an infrastructure-level approach to internet delivery—one that works efficiently portfolio-wide, mirrors how institutional operators already manage line items like utilities, and aligns resident experience with owner economics.
That means:
- One agreement to cover many homes—not a patchwork of site-by-site deals
- A service that’s move-in ready and fully supported—without internal teams owning the burden
- A revenue model that’s predictable, transparent, and built for success—not one-off incentives
Why Now?
Internet has become an essential service, with nearly 90% of renters demanding access to high-speed connectivity. For operators, that means the opportunity is no longer just about saving residents money or “checking the box” on amenities. It’s about delivering a more streamlined living experience at scale, no matter the geographic footprint or serviceability limitations.
As infrastructure players and service partners continue to evolve, the SFR sector is on the cusp of a new standard—one where connectivity isn’t a resident responsibility, but a built-in, professionally managed service that benefits everyone involved.
The Takeaway: The next big unlock in SFR operations won’t come from the next rent increase or resident benefit. It will come from treating internet like infrastructure—and partnering with those who can manage it accordingly.
Curious about Onboard's role in managing internet amenity programs for owners and operators in the SFR space? Visit letsonboard.com/single-family to learn more.
