Eco-Friendly Practices for Property Management

Low angle shot of apartment building with balcony plants - tips for eco-friendly property management

Our planet is suffering now more than ever from pollution, deforestation and many more reasons that lead to global warming and ecological destruction. Therefore, we need to step up and try our best to heal our planet and cause less damage whenever possible. Sustainable property management is one of the things that can be done to reduce the carbon footprint of a building. Moreover, it is kind to residents and tenants of the property. 

Read on to learn about different eco-friendly practices for property management.

Saving Water


If you are a property owner, you need to calculate the amount of wasted water in your building. Carrying out an audit would be a good idea to find solutions for conserving wasted water.

There are many things that can be done to save water, such as changing toilets, shower heads and water taps to more efficient ones, fixing leaks on the spot, and switching to efficient appliances that do not waste water while running.

Eco-Friendly Lighting


Only one apartment’s lighting usage can burn through significant amounts of carbon every year. However, if you use LEDs, CFL bulbs or any lower-energy lighting options, you will reduce the amount of energy used.

Thanks to smart technologies, there are daylight sensors, motion-activated lighting and other lighting options that save energy, both within apartments and in common spaces like halls and stairwells.

Environmentally-Friendly Pest Control


Pest control is necessary for maintaining your building and keeping it safe for residents and tenants. However, using chemicals in pest control is not necessary.

First, you should reduce the risk of pest infestation by securing trash cans, blocking any holes that pests can enter from and making sure that your tenants are keeping their apartments and the building clean. Then, you can resort to environment-friendly pest control options that do not harm the environment and are not cruel to animals. 

Create a Paperless Environment


Ivy-covered apartment building - tips for eco-friendly property management

In the digital age we are living in, it is easy to limit if not eliminate the use of paper in property management. Reduce paper consumption by using cloud-based management systems to avoid printing paper.

Operating a paperless system and switching to digital documents is not just an environmentally-friendly approach; it increases the efficiency of the management by allowing immediate access to the electronic files.

Regular Inspections


In order to run sustainable property management properly, you need to pay regular visits to your property to fix any problems on the spot before they cause more damage. You also have to make sure that eco-friendly practices are being applied and maintained yourself. 

Cut Down on Wasted Energy


To save costs and offer an eco-friendly environment for your tenants and residents, you need to cut down on wasted energy by installing energy-efficient appliances and making sure that the windows and doors are 100% insulated.

Using a programmable thermostat to control the temperature in the building would also be a good investment, as it will prevent energy from being wasted on heating. This way, the total energy output of the building will be reduced. 

Recycle


Residential properties produce a large amount of waste. Therefore, in order to maintain an eco-friendly property management system you need to build a recycling program. Install recycling bins all over the building and provide the tenants and residents with clear recycling instructions in their apartments.

Train Your Staff


Although you will pay regular visits to the property to make sure that everything is eco-friendly and maintained, you can’t be there every day. This is why you need to train your staff on green initiatives and have them attend green management classes to get more involved. This way, you will ensure that your staff is fully aware of the environmentally friendly practices you’ve put in place, and they can manage the property efficiently even if you are not there to supervise.

Green Purchasing Policy


Adopting a green purchasing policy means that all the products and services used in your building should have a reduced impact on the environment. Refrain from purchasing products that contain toxic substances, and choose recyclable products. Moreover, all the appliances in the building should be eco-friendly.

We need properties that are managed by eco-friendly practices now more than ever. Finding environmentally friendly solutions in all fields is on the rise. Saving water, using eco-friendly lighting systems, developing a recycling plan and creating a paperless environment in managing your property will reduce your carbon fingerprint and save you money too.

However, you need to make sure that everything is going according to plan by visiting your property on a regular basis and training your staff on green initiatives. Everything used in the property should be energy efficient and eco-friendly. Thanks to technology, eco-friendly property management is not costly or hard to maintain. 

Feature image: Adrian Dorobantu; Image 1: Charles Parker

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