Today’s Henrico County renters are often exploring ways to make their homes more environmentally conscious. And the great news for landlords is that going “green” in your rental home is easy and makes a great selling point. In fact, by incorporating just a few simple changes, landlords and rental property owners can clearly impact the environment and attract renters looking to live an environmentally friendly daily life.
1. Recycling & Composting
One of the first and simplest items you can do to make your rental home more environmentally conscious is to encourage your tenant to recycle and compost their food waste. If your city or county offers a recycling program, getting started may be as simple as requesting a recycling bin and then showing your tenant which items go in it. Similarly, consider providing a composting bin on the property that your tenants can use to make clean fertilizer for the landscaping. Not only will you save on landscaping costs, but your tenant may enjoy having an option to throwing excess food away.
2. Upcycling
In conjunction with recycling, upcycling is a terrific way to reduce waste and protect the environment, too. Upcycling is simply using items, such as empty glass jars from jelly or pickles, for another purpose. For example, glass jars make great food storage containers, flower vases, light fixtures, or pen holders. As the property owner, you can do a lot to reuse items instead of buying new or throwing things away. To get your tenants on board, provide them with some fun upcycling ideas and perhaps an incentive to participate.
3. Install Smart Air Conditioning
Another great way to make your rental property friendlier to the environment (and your utility bills) is to adjust how much and how often your tenant runs the air conditioning. For example, simply encouraging your tenant to increase their thermostat by one or two degrees can save energy. Or, for an even bigger impact, consider installing a smart thermostat. Programmable thermostats are great energy savers because they can ensure that the air conditioning is only running when people are home. Consider giving your tenant some tips on making the air conditioning run more efficiently, such as closing doors and windows while it is on and changing the filters regularly.
4. Use LED Light Bulbs
To save even more energy (and the environment), change your rental’s light bulbs to efficient LED bulbs. LED bulbs are long-lasting and energy-efficient, which means that they will reduce energy use in the home and need to be changed a lot less often than traditional light bulbs. Be sure to install LED light bulbs in areas where lights are used over long periods of time, such as porch lights or other frequently used lights.
5. Water Your Lawn at Night
Finally, using less water is a great way to impact the environment and your utility bills positively. For maximum efficiency and absorption, water your rental property’s lawn at night. When you water during the day, a lot of that water is lost to evaporation. But at night, more water reaches the roots of the plants and makes watering far more effective. If you have an automatic sprinkler system, this is as simple as adjusting the watering times. Otherwise, encourage your tenant to be environmentally friendly by watering the lawn after sunset or before sunrise.
If you enjoy reading our articles with helpful rental management tips, imagine how much you’ll like working with the Henrico County property managers at Real Property Management Richmond Metro! Contact us online or call 804-417-7005 to get started.
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