ORA LEARN
How The ORA® Score Is Calculated
Formal Definition: The ORA Score
The ORA Score is a 0–100, monthly-updated, unbiased resident experience metric for an apartment community.
It summarizes real renter reviews into a single number and resident experience signals so renters can compare apartment communities more confidently.
The High Level Methodology
ORA is designed to be trustworthy and renter-friendly. It provides transparency without turning the process into technical scoring talk.
At a high level, ORA:
- Weights recent reviews more heavily
- Accounts for review volume, lifetime star ratings, and review content
- Evaluates the rate of complaints and compliments across 22 operational categories renters mention most
- Considers relative performance by review site, including trustability and bias
- Contextualizes performance based on apartment community details
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
Why ORA Uses Categories
Renters experience apartment living in moments:
- A maintenance request
- A billing question
- A noise concern
- A communication exchange
- A shared space that feels cared for, or ignored
Using categories helps reveal consistency across the resident experience topics that shape day-to-day quality of life.
A simple review average can miss the why. Two apartment communities can have similar star ratings but very different lived experience patterns.
Reviews are the raw input. ORA is the standardized monthly interpretation.
Why The ORA Score Updates Monthly
Resident experience changes over time.
Monthly updates help ensure the ORA Score reflects current patterns rather than distant history.
Even strong scores can have opportunity areas worth verifying.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about the ORA Score
How transparent is ORA about how the score is created?
ORA is transparent about what it uses and what it returns: real renter feedback from 13+ review sites and related sources, 22 operational categories, an updated ORA Score, and strengths and opportunities for context.
The scoring approach is designed to keep the ORA Score consistent, unbiased, and reliable over time.
Does ORA name specific review sites?
ORA is based on 13+ review sites and related sources. ORA is designed to stay renter-friendly and not overload you with source-by-source details. The ORA App previews the most recent review sites that contributed reviews to the current score.
Does ORA evaluate every rental type?
No. ORA focuses on apartment communities. It does not evaluate single-family rental homes.
