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Landscaping Resources for Property Managers

Rob Maday — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 01:19:17 +0000

Out of the countless ways a conventional landscape can become more “green” and sustainable, we’ve compiled a list of 3 suggestions with the best ROI for property managers.

1. Install a Smart Irrigation Controller (Rebates available in most municipalities)

At a time when cutting edge technology is so prevalent in our daily lives, it makes no sense that your irrigation controller is from the Stone Age. At a minimum, your irrigation controller should be connected to a rain sensor that will shut down any programming if a set amount of precipitation collects in a small basin. Also, your controller should have a “seasonal adjust” feature that allows you to quickly reduce your set watering times by a percentage, making adjustments to your program quick and painless. If you have a larger property, upgrading to a smart controller that accesses weather data, ETo, soil moisture, and other conditions will no doubt save you water, money, and keep your plants healthier.

2. Conduct Quarterly Irrigation System Check-Ups

Odds are if sprinklers pop up or start dripping in the early morning hours, you and your landscape maintenance crew rarely see the system in action. If anything, you see evidence the system ran as you drive past and see the sidewalk and driveway wet. So take 20-30 minutes during daylight to turn on each sprinkler valve to check each head and emitter for proper functioning and alignment. There should be little to no overspray onto pavement, no geysers erupting from drip tubing, and absolutely no puddling. If you see puddling, you are applying too much water too quickly. To remedy, reduce watering times to cycle-soak intervals, replace sprinkler heads with rotary nozzles, and/or install a thick layer of tree trimmings to absorb and retain the moisture. Conduct these irrigation check-ups on quarterly intervals as a poorly maintained irrigation system will eliminate the savings of even the most state-of-the-art irrigation controller.

3. Minimize the Size and Impact of Lawn

As discussed in greater depth by others, the conventional lawn is a remnant of Landscaping 1.0. We are now well into Landscaping 2.0 and the notion that lawns should continue to be front-and-center of our properties is baseless. The percentage of time a maintenance team spends maintaining lawn is disproportionate to the value it provides. And needless to say, the time spent maintaining a lawn is not cheap. The water cost alone in warm climates is enough to make you reconsider its place in the landscape. For a quick illustration on the cost of water for a lawn compared to a drought-tolerant landscape, see the Water Usage Calculator at Landscape Resource.

However, if your lawn is to remain in its current form for practical reasons, consider implementing the following practices for increased health and reduced maintenance costs:

Grasscycling: Leave your grass clippings in place to reduce the amount of fertilizers needed to keep your lawn green.
Aeration: Using an aerator (mechanical or manual), plug holes throughout your lawn 2”-4” on center. This will alleviate soil compaction and allow moisture and nutrients to be more successfully absorbed into the root zone.
Reduce watering times: Statistics show that over 50% of people overwater their lawns by a factor of 1.5-2 times the amount needed. Try cutting back watering times by 3-5 minute increments. If you notice your lawn browning after a few reductions, bump the time up a bit and you’ve found a more accurate schedule and saved some water.
Mow High: For most lawns, you can set your sharp mower blade higher. This encourages a stronger, healthier grass that is less dependent on outside inputs.

About the Author
Rob Maday, ASLA, is a California-based registered landscape architect with over 10 years of experience designing responsible and unique landscapes. His professional practice, RMLA, focuses on residential, commercial, and industrial projects along the Central Coast. In 2010, he launched LandscapeResource.com, a free, community-based resource that provides inspiration and information for sustainable landscaping.

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College Prep: Sustainable Off-Campus Living

Jennifer Newton — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 20:05:47 +0000

College and university campuses are increasingly defining sustainable practices for their campus communities. This is, in turn, raising the bar for students’ off-campus expectations.

If your property is near enough to a campus to provide housing to students or staff, take a moment to assess any green attributes that could be leveraged to attract eco-conscious tenants and retain these residents over time. If you discover your property doesn’t have much to boast about, let this exercise be an incentive to you to explore adding a few green assets to your property.

Here are a few simple and inexpensive ideas to get you started:

Public Transportation: This one is completely free. Simply figure out where bus or rail lines are in proximity to your property.

Zero VOC Paints: Opt to freshen walls with a no-VOC paint before a new tenant moves in — it’s better for you, your tenant and the planet.

Non-Toxic Cleaners: Put together a basket of non-toxic cleaners as a move-in gift to a new tenant.

Community Garden Access: Where is the nearest community garden space to your property? Find out how to rent a plot and see if any are available for the next growing season.

Green Space: Where are the nearest parks and green spaces to your property? There are five major green spaces in my neighborhood and no two are alike. Lake Phalen rivals Central Park in size, beauty and diversity of activity; Mounds Park sits high above Saint Paul with six sacred ancient burial mounds still intact; Swede Hollow Park, a secret garden of sorts, connects major bike routes; Skidmore Park boasts a newly developed community garden; and Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary, a recently converted brownfield site, connects my neighborhood to the downtown area. It pays to know nearby green spaces and the unique value they can provide your tenants.

Recycling Hub: Create a designated recycling hub at your property. Consider a pantry, garage, porch or even a corner in the kitchen. Keep it simple and organized.

Bike Routes and Storage: After you research public transportation, find out if your town has any designated bike routes. Then, install bike hooks in the basement, porch or garage for tenants’ bikes. If bringing bikes inside makes you cringe, install a small lockable shed on the property.

Kitchen Composting: Food scraps create a lot of garbage. In fact, the average gruesome amount is 475 pounds per household every year. New to the idea of composting? Learn the basics of kitchen composting.

Believe it or not, solar panels are making an appearance at rental properties. I recently drove by a small apartment building about a quarter of a mile from the University of Minnesota and noted several solar panels installed on the roof. A little research later revealed an entire green marketing campaign for the property. A little more digging showed me that this property is not unique in its eco-conscious promotion. Clearly there is a considerable demand for green attributes to make solar panels and other green investments worth the up-front costs for property owners.

Did you ever think a worm box would be part of your marketing campaign?

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Green Incentives For Residential Property Managers – Part 1

How Your Residents Can Lower Their Electric and Water Bills

Marc Courtenay — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 17:47:19 +0000

Summer time is prime time to remember both electricity and water conservation ideas.

Save Electricity

If your residents use electricity as the main energy source for their air conditioning and food preparation needs, there are effective ways to reduce energy costs.

First, with the property manager’s help make sure their homes are well insulated. Room-darkening shades and weather stripping around the windows and doors are essential. Turn up the thermostat on the air cooling system by just 3 degrees and they’ll save almost 5% on their electric bills if combined with improved insulation. The use of box fans and ceiling fans can make quite a difference in keeping comfortable and reducing the need for continual air conditioning usage.

Your local utility company usually has pamphlets and online sites that discuss how to save electricity. Here are some more summertime electricity savings tips:

Keep your blinds, drapes or shades closed during the day.

Use ceiling fans or windows fans instead of air conditioning. Ceiling and window fans use much less electricity.

Only use air conditioning when it is hot outside.

Turn off your air conditioning if you will be gone from home for more than an hour. At least turn the thermostat much higher.

Clean or replace your air conditioning filters every month (in both central and window air conditioners).

Plant trees in your yard to shade your house in the summer. Get advice from a nursery or tree specialist concerning the best tree types to use.

If you can, shade your air conditioning unit. If your unit is in the bright sun, it will use up to 5% more energy than if it was in the shade.

Conserve Water

Residents can save money on their water bills too. Here are six overlooked suggestions:

When washing dishes by hand, don’t let the water run while rinsing. Fill one sink with wash water and the other with rinse water.

Run your clothes washer and dishwasher only when they’re full. You can save up to 1,000 gallons a month.

Use the garbage disposal sparingly. Compost vegetable food waste if possible and save many gallons of water.

Monitor your water bill for unusually high use. Your bill and water meter are tools that can help you discover leaks.

Use a broom instead of a hose to clean your driveway and sidewalk.

If your shower fills a one-gallon bucket in less than 20 seconds, replace the showerhead with a water-efficient model.

There are at least 94 other ways to save water. Check out the this article and you’ll see what I mean.

Saving money on electric and water usage can be a fun game for children. Think of ways to reward them with treats or special recognition and they’ll joyfully participate.

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Property Managers Receive Free “Energy Review” and Save Money

Marc Courtenay — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 21:25:25 +0000

There might not any “free lunches”, but hundreds of utility companies around the nation are offering free consultations and reviews on how to stop wasting both energy and money. The idea is to figure out how to use less energy and let your residents know you love them, all at a meaningful saving in costs.

The utility companies are receiving incentives and warnings from state and federal legislators to reduce their energy “footprint”. As a result they’ve reinstituted cost-free inspections and energy-saving analyses to help customers increase their energy efficiency.

Some of the suggestions and ideas you’ll receive might surprise you. Your home and the homes of your residents could be wasting up to 60 percent of the energy paid for.

A “Home Energy Review” of the residential properties you manage might be a quick way to track down trouble spots and identify solutions. As a property manager of multiple residential units, you may qualify for an extensive, cost-free and quickly arranged visit from one of your local energy providers.

I called our local natural gas company to come out and do an inspection and free energy-saving review. The consultant who came out was knowledgeable, courteous, and ready to offer helpful tips. After a walk through and careful evaluation, he offered a prioritized list of recommendations for steps to save energy and improve comfort.

They were also willing to install water-saving shower heads and faucet aerators, plus ENERGY STAR® compact fluorescent light bulbs, so I could start saving right away. That part was the biggest, positive surprise of this generous service. The consultant prepared a careful list of upgrades and improvements that we might want to make and how much money it would save us.

Then when we’re ready to make those improvements, the natural gas company had cash incentives through their own “energy trust”. They also offered to help us qualify for some state energy tax credits to help make it affordable. While carefully inspecting another rental home recently, they pointed out some money-saving pointers that were virtual no brainers.

They said that the house would be more comfortable and energy efficient if we sealed air leaks around the doors and windows, as well as insulating our attic walls and floors. In fact, those suggestions are two of the most affordable ways to make your rentals more comfortable in every season, especially during the winter.

Property managers can highlight the energy upgrades and improvements they’ve made when trying to fill vacancies. You’ll be able to point out the reduced cost of keeping the rental unit comfortable in both winter and summer as one of your property’s advantages.

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Why Becoming Credentialed In Green Property Management Is a Good Idea

Marc Courtenay — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:30:27 +0000

The smartest tip I can give to a “green” property manager is to let all your residents and prospective residents know that you’re an environmentally-thoughtful manager.

This sends the message that you care about the properties you manage and the well-being of the people who rent or lease those properties. It also tells the community that you run a responsible property management business, and that’s an important message.

The next tip I’ll give you is one that an enthusiastic “green” property management company needs to be aware of.

The National Apartment Association Education Institute (NAAEI) and the National Affordable Housing Management Association (NAHMA) offer the Credential for Green Property Management (CGPM) to on-site managers, maintenance staff and supervisors of front-line staff based on green building principles and best practices, and HUD Office of Affordable Preservation (OAHP) – established guidelines, with training offered by OAHP-recognized trainers.

If you decide to become a credentialed property manager you’ll have an advantage over the competition. You’ll attract property owners who are progressive-minded and who believe in the Green Revolution. Many do care about it. The Credential for Green Property Management will provide management companies and owners a mechanism for meeting their initial and ongoing training commitments to OAHP. (Check out the OAHP web site to learn more).

The Credential for Green Property Management is not restricted to employees of management companies who have opted for OAHP green restructuring. This credential will also benefit on-site managers, maintenance staff and supervisors of front-line staff at other affordable and conventional apartment communities employing Green Operations and Maintenance Practices. Credential holders will learn the latest techniques and technologies for making cost-saving green improvements at properties.

What is the Credential for Green Property Management Requirements? The HUD Office of Affordable Preservation (OAHP) requires that projects going through the Green Initiative, which will receive the full benefits of a green restructure (including a maximum 50% increase in the Incentive Performance Fee, and a reduction in required owner contribution to as little as 3% of green rehabilitation costs), must have on-site managers, maintenance staff and supervisors of front-line staff certified in green building principles and practices.

This requirement can be met by completing a total of 16 hours of training in a variety of green building topics (learn more).

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More Green Incentives For Residential Property Managers – Part 2

Marc Courtenay — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 01:00:28 +0000

The “science” of being an effective Residential Property Manager changes with the times and the priorities that our society establishes. Part 1 of this article covers ways in which property managers attract and retain residents with green incentives.

Today’s homeowners and home-renters are motivated to save energy and be “earth friendly.” That is why the “Green” revolution has become so popular.

Whether it’s about conserving energy, recycling, saving money or feeling good about our environment, people of all ages are motivated. They like to know that they live and work in buildings that are healthy as well as economical.

So it came as no surprise when I saw an apartment building which had several vacancies with a big sign that read “We Help You Conserve Energy, Save Money and Go Green”.

I called the property manager to find out what this was all about. It turns out that when residents move in they receive a supply of energy-saving compact fluorescent light bulbs. Included is a box of floodlights (the size that replaces 120-watt lights) that only use 23 watts of energy. This is a great way to make a resident’s move-in day extra special.

The manager told me (and I’ve since confirmed) that four of these 23 watt bulbs will save the resident around $465 over the life of the bulbs versus the 120 watt bulbs. In fact over the lifetime of the four bulbs in the package, the user will save 3,880kWh of electricity, which is enough energy to light the average home for approximately two years.

On the box of bulbs given to each resident it reads: Help the environment by reducing greenhouse gases. By using these lights you’ll be saving over 2,930 pound of coal from being burned or preventing over 6,270 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere. The greenhouse gases saved using the bulbs in this package are the equivalent to planting over 65 trees. This makes residents feel good knowing they are helping to do their part while they save money in energy and the cost of bulbs.

The property owner also is willing to replace these bulbs (which have an average life of 10,000 hours) at no cost to the resident. They buy the bulbs at Costco and the local utility company gives them a rebate on every box they buy. Everyone comes out ahead.

Anything that gives residents a sense of pride about where they live and saves them money is a real plus and a good way to retain them.

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Green Incentives For Residential Property Managers – Part 1

Marc Courtenay — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 23:09:23 +0000

There has never been a better time for creative ways to attract and retain the kind of residents you want to rent or lease your properties. Appealing to thoughtful, conscientious and responsible people is actually easier than you think.

When I was a practicing counselor (I have an M.S. in Psychology with an emphasis in Marriage, Family and Child Counseling) I noticed that people who were passionate about conservation, protecting the environment and social responsibility were usually also the types who were financially more careful, cleaner and often more socially responsible.

Later in life when I owned my own residential rental properties, I noticed that the folks who paid their rent on time and took good care of their dwellings often also had “green” interests.

In other words, they would be involved in recycling, eating organic food, using non-toxic forms of pest control and conserving energy in their apartment or house.

Yes, I know there are always exceptions to the rule, but my experiences taught me that people who we refer to as “Green” or “Greenies” made good residents. They would respond positively to certain features and incentives that property managers and owners offered to them.

Some examples of “green” features that would benefit both the owner and the renter would include: thermal windows, insulating window fixtures (such as pull-down shades that insulate from external heat and cold while also helping keep the interior at a desired temperature), energy efficient furnaces, air conditioners, appliances and solar energy.

If you, as an owner and/or property manager, are willing to make these kind of “green” improvements to your properties, by all means advertise proudly to potential residents and your current ones too.

Again, conversation-oriented personalities are the types that appreciate such thoughtfulness. They often respond with loyalty and by taking care of their homes and apartments.

Solar energy (such as solar-generated hot-water) is more lucrative for landlords than homeowners. Why? The Federal Tax Credit for Solar Energy is capped for personal residences at $2000, but there is no cap for “investment” properties.

In addition, landlords can depreciate the value of their solar installations over a shortened period of 5 years.

Finally, landlords can take a 50% Bonus Depreciation for items purchased and placed in service during 2008 and 2009 (expires 2009). See www.depreciationbonus.org for details.

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