A lot of responsibility comes with being a landlord.
To say nothing of finding responsible tenants, staying on top of maintenance demands — even with just one property — can be practically a full-time job.
Maintaining rentals, even ones that are only a few years old, can feel like a game of Whack-a-Mole: as soon as one project is finished another issue pops up. When it’s an emergency repair, landlords often don’t have time to make carefully researched decisions or weigh the benefits of different products. They’ve got to quickly get the job done.
But the process doesn’t have to be so frantic.
With a little planning and research, landlords can make home upgrades and replace old equipment with high-quality, energy-efficient products at an affordable price, with any of several incentives offered through Clark Public Utilities.
“Landlords can take advantage of incentives and low-interest loans to purchase high-efficiency products that improve a property’s value and lower the tenant’s utility bills at a price comparable to that of standard equipment,” said Michael Wallace, energy services counselor with Clark Public Utilities. “Rental homes can still qualify for many rebates.”
Water heaters, furnaces, baseboard heaters — all require replacement eventually. Why not upgrade an older heating system to an energy-efficient heat pump, a busted electric water heater to a longer-lasting heat pump water heater?
Owners of electrically heated properties consisting of five or more housing units can have a portion of window replacement and insulation improvement costs covered through utility incentives. However, multifamily properties don’t qualify for heat pump incentives.
With landlord approval, renters that meet income and heating type criteria can have a free Nest smart thermostat installed in their homes and receive 10 LED bulb replacements.
Landlords who rent to qualifying low-income tenants can also have a significant amount of weatherization upgrades done to their rental properties.
A win-win
The low-income weatherization program, funded as part of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, is administered by Clark County’s Department of Community Development in partnership with Clark Public Utilities. The program can improve a home’s energy efficiency and comfort by adding insulation, sealing air leaks and more. The program can also assist with minor weatherization repairs related to plumbing, heating systems, and ventilation issues.
By improving the quality of a home’s exterior barriers and performance, an income-qualified tenant won’t have to endure high utility bills and discomfort throughout the year. For their part, landlords then own a significantly improved property.
“Our typical weatherization projects are valued between $9,000 and $15,000,” said Clark County Senior Weatherization Specialist Jerry Giese.
Landlords are required to agree not to raise the rent for any reason in the first year, and only to cover increased operating costs for the following year.
“The program’s goal is to reduce the energy cost burden of low-income residents, and to enable them to keep more of their limited income in their pockets, not to create conditions where a landlord can justify charging more rent,” he said.
To learn more about efficiency-incentive programs available to property owners, customers can call 360-992-3355 during business hours to talk with a utility energy counselor.
Energy Adviser is written by Clark Public Utilities. Send questions to ecod@clarkpud.com or to Energy Adviser, c/o Clark Public Utilities, P.O. Box 8900, Vancouver, WA 98668.
