The function of the landlords in the housing industry is not only to provide good quality living premises and services to satisfy their tenants but also use the most cost efficient means to ensure that the business will survive through even the toughest of economic times. By going green, landlords aim to save as much energy as possible without compromising with the quality of life in the living premises. Saving natural resources like water and energy is a huge global obligation and as a landlord, you should play your role towards achieving the goal.
Going green can however be costly if the landlord does not employ the right mechanisms and facilities to go green. On the other hand, if properly carried out, the switch to using more energy efficient facilities in the rentals can save the landlord a lot of money. Here are 5 Tips to Going Green Cheaply as a Landlord
1) Install Energy efficient appliances
In a bid to save energy and ultimately the earth, engineers and designers have come up with electrical appliances that conserve more energy compared to the old appliances we are used to. Such appliances are normally rated with stars depending on the amount of energy they help conserve. Appliances with these stars should be your priority when procuring the required electrical appliances in the house. Such appliances include bulbs, dishwashers, refrigerators and air conditioners. If the property already has the old appliances installed, you can slowly replace them with the newer more energy efficient ones. These appliances are cheaper and can save the energy consumption of your property by up to 40%. Amazing.
2) Water conservation
Water and sewer systems in the houses can consume a lot of water if the right facilities are not put into place to minimize its usage. Water bills can be very huge and will have a great impact on the net profit realized from the property at the end of the month or year. The fact that you cannot be around everyone’s house to see and limit the amount of water they use, makes it hard for Landlords to control usage. You can however curb wastage by installing and using shower heads, toilets, tubs and kitchen sinks which use little water. Shower heads of low pressure, low flow toilets and install faucets to limit the flow of water in tubs and sinks. As the landlord, respond to reports of leaking taps and tubs. Water leaks alone, waste more than 8 billion Gallons of water every day. As a landlord that means more money paid to the water company. If you are planning to build the rentals, preinstall these water saving facilities and you will save big.
3) Use of natural lighting and heating systems
Effective lighting in any room is something that the tenant will consider before considering to move in to your property. Most landlords prefer using bulbs and fancy chandeliers to light up the rooms and attract the tenant rather than use the natural lighting from the sun. Proper windows and doors that let in enough lighting will help conserve energy during the day. Install solar water heating systems on the rooftops of the property to heat water during the day. These mechanisms are very cheap in that you only install them once and will have to pay nothing for them again. Only a little servicing and maintenance is enough to keep them working all year long.
4) Meters
Most landlords prefer including the cost of all bills both water and electricity in the overall end month rent. This means that the tenant will be using the energy without caring about the units he/she will consume knowing that irrespective of the number of units he/she uses, the rent will be a constant. Installing prepaid individual meters in every housing unit means that the tenant will be more conscious of his/her usage limiting wastage. This will save the overall energy consumed in the property.
5) Thermostats and motion sensor lights
Thermostats will automatically switch off the water and room heaters when a certain temperature is achieved. Motion sensor bulbs on the other hand, will only light when they detect human movement. This means that when the tenant is away from the house, these bulbs and appliances will switch off conserving energy.
Employing these amazing, cheap methods will ensure that you save energy and water usage in the unit and will save you a lot of money. Remember if you save energy in your unit, you will be greatly contributing to the Global Energy conservation goal and our earth will be a great place to live in. Go green today and save big.