25 Apr Becoming a greener landlord

Recently, the headlines have been dominated by the cost-of-living crisis. This is something that will be affecting everyone in some way, whether it’s running their cars or heating their homes, everyone will be impacted by increases in energy costs and rises in the Bank of England’s base rate. If you are a landlord there are a few things you can do to make a positive impact on both your and your tenants’ lives.

If you are looking to sell your property or move to the area or add to your property portfolio, take some time to browse our properties for sale in Virginia Water and the surrounding areas. If you have any questions, you can also visit our award-winning website or call us on 01344 843000 and email us.

So how do you become a greener landlord? It doesn’t have to cost you a fortune, we’ve put together a list of small things you can change which will make a difference to your property’s energy consumption and overall impact on the environment.

Electricity

As mentioned before, the cost of energy has just increased by 54% and is due to increase again later in the year. A simple way to make your property more energy-efficient is to simply swap out any standard light bulbs and replace them with LED bulbs. These last more than five times as long as halogen bulbs and are far more efficient. The Energy Saving Trust reports that replacing every bulb in the house with an LED will save the average household £40/year on their bills.

Smart meters combined with a learning thermostat will help your tenants to keep a handle on their energy spending too.

Water

Water use is another area in which you can manage your impact on the environment. Low-flow showerheads use about half the amount of water as a conventional shower. This is achieved by aerating the water through the showerhead, they are inexpensive and are simple to swap with normal showerheads.

Dual flush toilets are usually installed in modern homes, but if your home is older, you may choose to convert your standard toilet for one which uses less water in order to save as much as 50% on each flush. Again, these are inexpensive to buy and install and can have a significant impact on your water consumption – especially in a family home.

Recycling

Recycling facilities are usually the responsibility of your local authority, especially when it comes to collections and disposal. However, landlords can ensure that their properties have all the necessary bins and storage units to help tenants recycle responsibly. Most recycling-related complaints are built around the bins not being large enough to cater to the household – in most cases, the landlord simply calls the local authority to organise the provision of more appropriate containers.

Paperless

Going paperless is the most simple and efficient way to communicate with your tenants. Everything from your tenancy agreements to inventories can be completed online; it means that all enquiries, maintenance requests, invoices, and any other communications, can be made efficiently and directly; and, for those situations which require it, there will be proof and evidence of any communications thread.

Each of these small improvements will add up to making a home that is friendlier to the environment. Most people are very aware of their own impact on the environment and showing that you are considerate of this issue will make your home a more attractive proposition to potential tenants when the time comes to remarket your property.

Get in Touch

If you are a landlord looking to let your property or looking for properties to expand your portfolio, make sure you take a look at our amazing catalogue of properties for sale in Virginia Water and the surrounding areas.

If you’d like to speak to someone about properties to let in Virginia Water, a member of our expert team would be happy to help. You can call us on 01344 843000 or email us. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.