Renters are doing their part to save the environment. During a national survey, more than 65 percent of renters told Apartments.com that practicing an environmentally-friendly lifestyle is a high priority. To conserve energy, 52 percent of renters are turning off lights and computers when not in use, setting air conditioners and heaters on timers and using energy-efficient light bulbs. Twenty-two percent are recycling paper, plastics and electronics.
As peak rental season ramps up around the country, renters are also going “green” during their apartment search. More than 60 percent of renters said they search for apartments that offer environmentally-friendly amenities and 25 percent are willing to pay more rent to live at an apartment community that considers the environment in their day-to-day community operations. This level of environmental consciousness reflects not only how renters live, but could also translate into where they choose to live.
When asked to choose all that apply, renters identified the five most popular amenities offered at their apartment community as:
- On-site recycling programs (59%)
- Energy-efficient light bulbs (32%)
- Low water-flow devices (31%)
- Energy-efficient windows (26%)
- Automated and/or paperless processes for online transactions (24%)
Originally posted on April 20, 2009 @ 8:17 am