This is a guest post from Chris Thorman, who blogs about rental property software at The Property Management Blog.
The next time you’re searching for a rental property, throw out the question to your potential landlord and gauge their reaction: “What are your green credentials?”
The response you get probably will range from a quizzical look to a mumbled sentence about switching to new light bulbs. The reality is, sustainable practices haven’t caught on as quickly in property management as in other industries.
Fortunately, there is a growing trend towards certifying “green” property managers and it’s being led by organizations such as the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the National Affordable Housing Management Association (NAHMA) and National Apartment Association Education Institute (NAAEI).
While some property managers will adapt to this greener standard because they agree with its objectives, others will need the incentive of having it matter to their tenants. So, if you as a tenant start forcing landlords and property managers to look at the issue, more will be inclined to adopt the standards.
Let’s dive deeper into what these credentials entail; why green property management is important; and what the future of green property management looks like.
Green Designation and Credentials
Because green certifications are widely available and relatively easy to earn, there is no reason why a property manager shouldn’t pursue one of these programs – particularly with its tenants’ encouragement. If it matters to you, you might share the following information with your landlord or property management.
Launched in 2008, NAR’s Green Designation is designed to provide property managers with the “knowledge and awareness of green building principles applied in residences, commercial properties, developments, and communities so that they can help consumers in purchasing, retrofitting, and operating green properties.” Of the over 4,300 people who have earned the Green Designation, approximately 60 of them are property managers. Even though NAR’s Green Designation is only a 18-hour course, it can lay an important foundation in sustainability for property managers.
Another green program for property managers, the Credential for Green Property Management offered by NAHMA and NAAEI, educates property managers on the “latest techniques and technologies for making cost-saving green improvements at properties.” It’s similar to NAR’s Green Designation in that its main goal is educating property managers about green practices.
Why Green Property Management is Important
One of the main reasons why green property management is becoming increasingly important is the fact that buildings account for 50-80% of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. Many experts are pointing to reducing building greenhouse gas emissions as the most effective and least cost-prohibitive way to fight global warming.
In addition, there are approximately 300,000 property managers in the United States, managing over 90 million tenants. That’s nearly one-third of the U.S. population depending on another person to manager their building’s sustainability.
Instead of just one homeowner responsible for greening one home, a property manager has the opportunity to engage many residents in the practices of sustainable living and reduce their carbon footprint through community-wide changes to properties.
If tenants focus on matter, this group can really make a difference.
Future of Green Property Management
An innovation that may be in the future of property management is a comprehensive system for managing a property’s carbon footprint.
This entails collecting and aggregating a variety of metrics related to energy use to create a real-time snapshot of a property’s energy use. Property managers would be able to monitor a property’s carbon footprint at any given time and adjust energy use as needed. For example, the system could note a significant use of energy at night by parking lot lights. Once alerted, a property manager could respond by installing motion sensors that reduce energy use.
In the future, programs like the Green Designation and the Credential for Green Property Management may include tracks for carbon monitoring and feed-in-tariff education – worthwhile topics for any property manager to understand.
In the end, if you recycle and “green” your apartment, see about making your overall property green by having your property manager make a difference.
