Rental dilemma: why landlords should make rental homes more eco friendly

Living in a rental and living sustainably is within reach with just a little effort discovers this family.

Living sustainably in a rental home.

Returning to live in Australia during lockdown felt like an impossible task for my family and having to decide on a place to live virtually certainly had its challenges. There was very little housing stock available, let alone homes with sustainable living features. When we saw this inner west rental advertised on realestate.com, we were instantly drawn to it because it was a new build, advertised as a sustainable design, plus it was based in a suburb that was equidistant to our children’s new schools.

We felt like we’d hit the jackpot. We put in an offer straight away and signed a lease on the three-bedroom, three bathroom inner west rental that suited our needs. One of the main reasons for us renting was that we wanted to experience living in the area first. What initially struck us about this particular rental property, designed by Perera Design, was not only the sustainable component but also the modern design features.

A green driveway is a great idea.

The high ceilings, sliding barn doors, polished concrete, green driveway, fans and ducted aircon, LED lights, thick window glazing, a central courtyard for maximum internal light plus skylights upstairs, all combined to create a zen ambience throughout and this seemed rare in the rentals we saw advertised at that time.

Modern cladding.

CONTROLLING BUDGET

We also hoped that by renting a property powered by the Powerwall 2 Tesla battery, it would allow us to live as close to a budget as possible. Our Tesla battery stores energy, detects outages and automatically becomes your home’s energy source. Paired with solar and recharged with sunlight, it keeps your appliances running for days without upkeep, fuel or noise. Powerwall reduces your reliance on the grid by storing solar energy when the sun isn’t shining, which saves you money and reduces your carbon footprint too. We worked out the Tesla battery app and the varying energy plans available and we have rarely paid for electricity.

Smart inclusion that saves renters money in the long-term.

DECLUTTER AND MINIMISE

Another aim was to declutter as much as possible. Given our furniture had been in storage for a number of years we had the unenviable task of culling much of what was necessary versus what had perished in storage. Living within a compact space forces you to declutter and live with the essentials. We had to think carefully about what is essential for us to live with.

Happy to help the environment.

STRATEGIC THINKING

As a renter coming into the Australian market, we knew we wanted to live in the most cost-effective way and that if we were living off-the-grid then that cost could almost be fixed for our family. Given inflation and interest rate rises plus the spiking fuel costs we feel good about the decision. Also, my kids feel like they are contributing their bit and supporting a better world by living this way. They attended a school in Bali prior to coming to Australia, and learned a lot about eco-living, sustainability and recycling. It was a huge part of their school curriculum. They built walls out of eco-bricks, which are compacted plastic drinking bottles. Here, they do their bit although no one particularly enjoys having to empty the dreaded compost bin at the back of the garden. We all love that we live within walking distance to a farmers’ market, cool cafes, a dog park and a number of local pubs and new breweries too. They’re all accessible on foot, which also keeps our carbon footprint low.

Install alternative energy photovoltaic solar panels on your roof.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR RENTAL HOME MORE SUSTAINABLE?

Buy whitegoods that have the highest energy star rating.

Add greenery into your environment eg. put plants on the window sills and balconies, inside, this adds to the ambience of a property and feels uplifting.

Use recycled or second hand materials to decorate or improve it. Repurpose where possible and buy an e-bike or electric scooter.

Insulate all walls and floors for maximum energy efficiency and climate control.

Use robust materials like polished concrete that requires almost no high maintenance or chemicals, ages well with a nice patina.

The design is always the strongest green component, because it allows you to make the most of the space and use energy a certain way e.g. use of natural light like a central courtyard or skylights and where possible, consider the nature outlook

Use the maximum solar panels to power your home with a Tesla battery and car charger.

Use companies that use Energy Grids forefront of mind e.g. Boiler & AC unit high energy star ratings, induction appliances.

If the floorplan is tight, then high ceilings will give the occupant the illusion and feel of space.

Grey water tanks - Storage tanks are sent through your flushing system, NSW mandatory minimum requirement for minimising water supply.