Operations & Technology

Resident portals are mini sites where tenants can pay their rent, check out activity calendars and request maintenance service. Owners and managers are finding that these portals are must-have amenities today, impacting both resident retention and leasing efforts.

Resident portals are mini sites where tenants can pay their rent, check out activity calendars and request maintenance service. Owners and managers are finding that these portals are must-have amenities today, impacting both resident retention and leasing efforts.

With more and more renters moving back home or doubling up, vacancy rates throughout the nation are on the rise. Industry experts agree that, while the emphasis is usually placed on leasing and marketing, there needs to be a shift toward focusing on the current paying customer. In other words, resident retention in today’s difficult economy is even more important than ever before.

A new program could provide a sizable jolt to the already-popular practice of retrofitting existing commercial properties to increase environmental sustainability. The Community Preservation Corp., a non-profit affordable housing lender, has unveiled a new public-private partnership that aims to provide $1 billion in funding for energy efficient upgrades and green retrofits to multifamily properties.

For many, the environmental movement is about recycling, solar panels, and hybrid cars. Even we in the industry can get distracted by the technological whiz-bangery of the latest wind turbine, composite material, and waterless urinal. It’s easy to overlook what will be the most pervasive aspect of sustainability in the coming years: the green collar job market.

With rental vacancy rates at their highest levels since at least 1996, it is only natural that some property owners may “loosen” their standards during the rental screening process to increase occupancy levels. However, before taking such actions, property managers need to best understand how to assess their prospective residents in today’s new economic environment. To ensure a renter is both reliable and profitable, a property manager must look at several attributes in their profile.

New York–What’s black and white and green all over…? The Silhouette. And, if all goes according to plan, this four-unit eco-friendly condominium in South Park Slope, Brooklyn will soon be the first low-rise LEED Platinum project in New York City.

The United States can learn a few lessons in energy-efficient buildings and green jobs from Europe and Australia, according to a new study by the Rand Corporation. The research shows that steps taken by the two continents to inspect, rate, and publicly disclose the energy efficiency of buildings indicate the structures use less energy and are worth more when sold or leased.

Given the sheer number of structural, mechanical and electrical components within a typical multi-family structure, it’s easy to overlook a building’s plumbing system when major problems aren’t evident. Yet low water pressure, leaky pipes and stained, discolored water are all signposts to larger issues – potentially even system-wide failure. The longer these linger, the worse they can get.

New York City is flooded with some major events this week: the U.N. General Assembly, the annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative and Climate Week N.Y.C., which falls just a few months before the international climate meeting slated to take place in Copenhagen this winter.