Is Your Apartment Sustainable? - Analytical Toolset to Evaluate the Health of Apartments and Increase Sustainable Building Practices in Rental Markets

In the current apartment rental market, energy efficiency of buildings is not typically a primary consideration for renters. The European Union has attempted to address this market failure by providing information on energy consumption and CO2 emissions to potential building users. This rationale is underpinned by the idea that informed users may prioritize efficient buildings and, if needed, they would even be willing to pay a market premium for them because of energy savings, environmental conservation, and more subtle health benefits. The development of various standards and certificates has also been dedicated to defining the specifications of a green building. However, this information is often geared towards professionals and may not be easily accessible or understandable for renters. Renters may not be aware of the specifications and design characteristics that influence a building’s energy, environmental performance, or effects on occupants’ health. This research aims to bridge this gap by enabling renters to make an informed decision based on the performance of the apartment they wish to rent. This is achieved by developing a software application that provides a curated set of metrics for comparing the energy, environmental, and occupant health performance of multi-family apartment buildings. The first part of the research involved curating relevant metrics from various standards, developing a benefit-based definition, and creating a scoring system to compare apartments. The second part involved testing the hypothesis through renter surveys and the development of a prototype. By introducing performance metrics as a purchasing factor, this research may also increase demand in the market for more efficient and sustainable buildings. Ultimately, this application will enable the evaluation of buildings in the rental market based on their performance characteristics, in addition to design aesthetics, locational benefits, price, and unique luxury features