Green Rental Housing

Overview

Rental units in Ann Arbor account for about 55% of our housing stock. Many of these units are well-built and maintained, providing tenants – from students to life-long Ann Arborites – the ability to live in comfortable and affordable homes. But this is not always the case. Some buildings and units were constructed in a time before modern building codes and have not been updated, meaning tenants generally pay more for their energy bills, live in uncomfortable units, and reside in buildings that produce disproportionately more emissions inside and outside of the building, harming the physical, financial, and mental health of tenants. To address this, the Green Rental Housing Ordinance sets a minimum baseline for health, comfort, and energy efficiency to ensure our tenants have a place to not just live, but also to thrive, as we all work towards our carbon neutrality goals.

How does Green Rental Housing Help?

Efficient units have less exposure to indoor and outdoor contaminants, improving occupant health and safety. For example, properties choosing to add insulation or do air sealing, they can reduce harmful outdoor air pollutants from coming inside, lower the likelihood of illnesses, and reduce the likelihood of mold and mildew. For properties reducing or removing methane gas appliances, they can reduce indoor air pollutants and reduce the chance of respiratory diseases.

Units that are more energy efficient maintain more consistent and comfortable temperatures year-round. More efficient homes also generally contribute to better physical and mental health due to less exposure to harmful pollutants and less financial stress due to lower energy bills.

Units that are efficient use less energy, saving on utility bills. By keeping out the heat in the summer and cold in the winter, heating and cooling systems don't have to work as hard, reducing how much energy is needed to maintain a comfortable temperature. Similarly, having more efficient appliances reduces the amount of energy used, thereby lowering bills.

By using less energy, we reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions generated by our buildings. In Ann Arbor, buildings account for just under 70% of our emissions, and our housing stock is about 55% rentals. Lowering emissions from rental units helps us work together as a community to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

Resources

The Office of Sustainability & Innovations has created resource hubs for both tenants and landlords to continue making Ann Arbor rental housing as safe, healthy, comfortable, and energy efficient as possible.

Landlord Resources

Renter Resources

Proposed Materials

The draft Green Rental Housing policy is a multi-faceted approach created by the task force and the Office of Sustainability and Innovations to standardize market expectations for the quality of rental units and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Each approach centers the health, safety, comfort, and energy efficiency of rentals. To learn more, please view the materials below. Please note, the following materials are not finalized and are still under review.

For more information, read the Green Rental Housing FAQ.

Contact Us

Let us know how we can help you! We have put together a resource hub for tenants and landlords and are continually adding new resources. Send your ideas and suggestions for the types of resources you'd like to see to jlange@a2gov.org.

Contact Info

Joe Lange
Senior Energy Analyst

Email Joe