Who is included in the majority of property reviews – good or bad? Properties maintenance personnel! Who at the property has more one -to-one interfaces with a resident than other property personnel? Maintenance personnel! Who does the property depend on to install low-flow aerators, check units for leaks – toilets, faucets, water heaters? Maintenance personnel!…
Category: Sustainability
Composting in California
If you have properties in California, this blog is for you! California state legislature requires that we are providing composting to our residents at all Apartment complexes. Although we have to provide composting, there are not a lot of best practices out there for us. In the spirit of collaboration, here is my list great…
Water and Sewer bills are rising fast
A recent Wall Street Journal article pointed out that water and sewer bills have increased over 5.5% annually over the last decade, three times the rate of inflation. And that pace is likely to continue, due to aging water and sewer infrastructure. https://www.wsj.com/articles/who-is-paying-to-fix-outdated-water-and-sewer-systems-you-are-1521106201 If it hasn’t already, this will pinch the pocketbooks of apartment owners…
What is Liquefied Natural Gas?
You may not be aware, but the US has increased its natural gas exports substantially over the years. At this point, the US is a net exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG) due in part to the shale gas revolution. But, happens when US allies wean themselves off of Russian natural gas and onto ours. …
50% or water is wasted!
Weather-based irrigation controllers can use data to help save money. Read more from the EPA: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-01/documents/ws-products-minireport-irrigation-controllers.pdf Wes Winterstein
Whole Building Data is coming to California
I know that I sound like Chicken Little…screaming about the sky falling. However, Effective January 1, 2019, you are going to need to ensure that all your apartment properties in California are loaded into Portfolio Manager. There is a hyperlink to the bill below if you really like read legislature, but the gist is that…
Walk Scores Explained
With some Internet Listing Services and property websites now including a community’s walk score, its important to understand just what this means and how it impacts the marketability of the community. There is even an app that potential renters can download that allows them to find apartments in their desired area based on walk score….
What “Green Features” actually matter to residents?
Our industry typically has a lot of discussion surrounding what type of “green features” residents want in their homes, and more specifically, how much they are willing to pay for these features. While the verdict may still somewhat be out on how much renters will actually pay for any given “green feature”, there are some…
Energy-efficient green buildings may emit hazardous chemicals
It’s worth being informed. Perhaps a drafty living space isn’t such a bad thing after all! Read more from Reuters article on energy-efficient buildings potentially releasing hazardous chemicals here. Wes Winterstein
Marketing your “Green” Efforts
We began to market our “green” efforts as we implemented them at our properties. Not because potential residents were requesting the information, but because we wanted to stand out from our competition We wanted the current and potential residents to know that we had taken steps to save them money. So, we started educating the…