What Is the St. Louis Apartment Association (SLAA)?

Updated

SLAA — the St. Louis Apartment Association — is a trade association for the multifamily housing industry in the metropolitan St. Louis area, chartered in 1976. It serves two main audiences: apartment owners and management professionals, and the supplier partners who sell products or services to them. If you work in rental property management or supply that industry in the St. Louis region, SLAA is the organization most likely to be relevant to you.

What SLAA Does

The association describes its purpose as advancing the general welfare of the multifamily housing industry in the St. Louis area. It pursues that through three broad channels:

  • Education — seminars, credentials, and certification programs
  • Networking — events that connect owners, managers, and suppliers
  • Advocacy — legislative tracking and policy updates at the state and national level

Who Belongs

SLAA's membership splits into two groups that the site treats separately:

Group What they get
Owner/Management members Directories, education, events, advocacy representation
Supplier partners A supplier directory listing and access to "Members Doing Business with Members" networking

The site maintains separate directories for owners/managers, communities, suppliers, and a NextGen group aimed at newer industry professionals.

What You'll Find on slaa.org

The site is organized around a few practical functions:

  • Events & Programs — an upcoming events calendar, signature events, and a posted cancellation policy
  • Member directories — searchable by company name, city, zip code, or area of expertise
  • Advocacy resources — Missouri weekly legislative updates, bill tracking, and NAA public policy updates
  • News — member announcements, event recaps, and industry items
  • Membership information — benefits, committees, bylaws, and a code of ethics

There's also a free mobile app for members, and the site offers advertising placements for businesses wanting visibility.

Credentials and National Affiliation

SLAA connects members to NAA (National Apartment Association) credentials and certifications, and to NAA programs such as Click & Lease. It also participates in NAAPAC, the national political action committee, and accepts direct contributions to it.

When SLAA Is the Right Resource

SLAA is worth checking if you:

  • Manage or own rental property in the St. Louis metro and want local education or peer networking
  • Sell a product or service to multifamily properties and want directory visibility or member-to-member business
  • Need to track Missouri legislation affecting rental housing
  • Are new to the industry and looking at the NextGen track or a career in rental property management

If you're outside the St. Louis region or outside multifamily housing, the association's local focus means most of its programming won't apply to you — though the NAA credentials it points to have broader reach.

Getting Started

The site's main entry points are Join, Login, and Contact Us in the top navigation. Membership pricing isn't published on the homepage, so you'd need to go through the join flow or contact the association directly for current rates and terms.