Green Landlords Seek and Green Tenants – and Vice-Versa

Green Apartment Network asks sustainable rental property owners: “What have you been doing that works? What has been effective in fulfilling your intention to operate sustainable apartments?”

This week’s answer: boldly highlighting sustainable features in advertisements, and seeking renters who value environmental benefits with their apartment

One green Madison rental property owner shared a strategy for reaching out to potential tenants who will appreciate his sustainable, eco-friendly apartment houses. He only uses two avenues for communication: Craigslist, and his website. As you might expect, both trumpet the environmentally sustainable benefits of the apartment house, such as deep energy efficiency for electricity and gas, as well as water efficiency.

More innovative is that the ads include some of “house rules” prominently – which quite possibly not all potential tenants will love. One example – these are not just non-smoking apartments, but rather, his policy is “no burning of anything, ever”.  This means, for example, no incense. A strict approach? Maybe for some people, but for those looking for clean and healthy indoor air quality where they live, a truly exceptional benefit.

This direct and transparent approach allows potential renters to self-select a green apartment, or to choose to keep looking if this take on sustainable living isn’t for them. 

How green is your apartment house or building?

Green Apartment Network has developed a new "Greener Apartment Identifier" to take a first run at answering the questions, "What is a sustainable apartment building?" and "How green does it have to be?"

It is essentially a checklist, asking simple questions in these areas about a given property:

1.Energy actions (taken for specific property)
2.Water actions
3.Waste management actions
4.Transportation actions
5.Improvements and renovation actions
6.Community, education and outreach actions
7.Governance actions

We're looking for 20 apartment houses or apartment buildings to "beta test" Greener Apartment Identifier with.  The benefit to you as property owner is to have a framework for improving your property, and to get a quick snapshot of how green your property is.

You will also be forwarding the purpose of Green Apartment Network.  Some of the greenest buildings will be profiled on this website.

Email us or call Seth Nowak at 608-354-1329 if you are interested in, or considering trying out Greener Apartment Identifier on one of your buildings.

New Board Members Bring Expertise, Vision

At the September meeting, two new members joined the Board of Directors. Michael Barrett brings deep experience in governing environmental and community nonprofit organizations as well as off-the-charts enthusiasm for energy efficiency to managing his rental properties.  Find out more of what he is up to at his website, http://urbanthoreau.com/.  Ed Blume shares the energy efficiency knowledge and also contributes marketing and renewable energy skills and experience.  His company, Energy Consulting Network, provides energy project management. Visit http://www.energyconsultingnetwork.com/.

Green Apartment Network Launches as Not-for-profit Membership Association

We're official.  We're a bona-fide registered not-for-profit cooperative association, incorporated in Wisconsin and certified by the Department of Financial Institutions.

GAN is out to transform the world of apartment living, to have owners and renters on the same team, working together for safe, healthy, comfortable, sustainable, efficient, clean places to live that are a great value, great investments, and in harmony with land and nature.

As a cooperative, membership is open.  Any individual or organization who can benefit from Green Apartment Network, and fulfill the obligations and duties of membership, may join and have a vote.

There are three membership types; rental property owners and investors (some folks still call us "landlords"), residents (y'know, "tenants"), and supporting members -- the contractors, service providers, and institutions we work with, and anyone else who supports our work for a prosperous and environmentally-friendly future.

60% of renters will pay more for "green" apartments

The “2013 Green Renters Survey” was commissioned by HD Supply Facilities Maintenance as a follow-up to our “2010 Green Renters Survey” to understand how apartment renters preferences for amenities, including energy efficient, water conserving, and other environmentally preferable amenities, has changed over the past couple of years. Gretchen will go into detail on the results during the presentation, but I will share a few highlights here with you now.

• 77 percent of renters report that it is important that their apartment is “green,” compared to 62% in 2010.
• 17 percent consider this very important, compared to 13% in 2010.
• 65 percent state that energy efficiency is important, compared to 56% in 2010.
• 57 percent value an apartment with environmentally friendly features, compared to 42 percent in 2010.
• Only 13 percent of renters are aware of a “green” apartment complex in their area.

In my mind, the most exciting results of this study is that 6 out of 10 renters would be willing to pay 2.5 percent higher rent to live in a “green” apartment unit even if that apartment unit doesn’t save them any money on utilities. That basically means that people place a 2.5 percent premium on the environmental impact reduction of “green” apartment units.

Get with the plan, renters!

From a news release published on DigitalJournal.com:

[A]n overwhelming majority of Americans (93%) stated that they are convinced that investing in energy efficiency products will enable them to reduce their energy bills. . . .22% of renters feel the investment is not worth their while.

Madison Gas & Electric has a list of energy-saving tips for renters.

Green-minded students need places to live

Landlords, did you know that there's a growing sustainability effort on the UW campus? These green-minded students need places to live while they're in school, as well as after they graduate. We need more green landlords to offer green living situations all over Madison and beyond.