Learn About ORA®

If you are evaluating apartment communities and want to feel more confident in your decision, this is the place to start. ORA® is designed to help renters understand what it is actually like to live at an apartment community, based on real renter feedback.

This Learn hub brings together everything you need to understand how ORA® works, how to interpret an ORA® Score, and how to compare apartment communities more clearly. Reviews are the raw input. ORA® is the standardized monthly interpretation.

Start Here: What Is <span style="color:#17c9a7">ORA<sup>®</sup>?</span>

Start Here: What Is ORA®?

ORA is a tool designed to help renters understand the resident experience at apartment communities. It helps you see patterns across real renter feedback so you can make a more confident apartment rental decision. If you are new to ORA®, begin with:

What Is The ORA® Score →

What Is ORA®

The ORA® Score

The ORA® Score is a 0–100, monthly-updated, unbiased resident experience metric for an apartment community. It is based on real renter feedback from 13+ review sites and related sources and evaluated across 22 operational categories renters mention most. Rankings reference ORA® Scores during a specified within the year depending on the list.

Example

88
ORA® Score February 2026

A monthly-updated resident experience score based on real renter feedback, designed to help renters compare apartment communities with more confidence.

Strengths:

  • Maintenance
  • Cleanliness
  • Communication

Opportunities:

Parking, Noise

Formal Definition: The ORA® Score

When reviewing rankings, always note the month or year associated with the list. Resident experience can change over time, and rankings reflect the period referenced.

Understand Strengths And Opportunities

The ORA® Score is most useful when paired with context. Strengths show where resident experience is performing best right now. Opportunities show patterns worth verifying before signing. Learn more here:

Strengths And Opportunities

Compare Apartment Communities With Confidence

If you are choosing between two or more apartment communities, ORA® gives you a consistent way to compare resident experience signals.

Visit: How To Compare Apartment Communities Using ORA®

You will learn:

How to narrow your list

How to compare ORA® Scores properly

How to use strengths and opportunities to guide questions

How to verify what matters most

Use The National Average ORA® Score For Context

A number alone does not tell the full story. The National Average ORA® Score provides a benchmark for comparison during a specific month and year.

Learn how to interpret it here:

The National Average ORA® Score →

A Simple Way To Think About ORA®

Apartment communities can look similar online

ORA® helps you compare what renters actually experience

A strong ORA® Score indicates avoidance of sustained negative reviews in critical resident experience categories within the last 6–12 months, suggesting a more predictable resident experience relative to the National Average ORA® Score benchmark. Even strong scores can have opportunity areas worth verifying.

ORA® does not replace your tour

ORA® does not guarantee outcomes

ORA® helps you reduce surprises by identifying patterns.

Frequently asked questions

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ORA LEARN

Is ORA<sup>®</sup> only for certain types of apartment communities?
ORA® focuses on apartment communities managed by property management companies. It does not evaluate single-family rental homes.
Is ORA<sup>®</sup> influenced by marketing participation?
No. ORA® Scores are calculated independently using a standardized methodology. Property managers and landlords cannot pay to influence their score.
Do I need to read every review?
No. ORA® summarizes real renter feedback into a single monthly score and identifies strengths and opportunities, so you do not need to read every individual review.

Where should I start?

If you are new to ORA®, begin with: