Tenant-Paid Energy Costs in Multifamily Rental Housing: Effects on Energy Use, Owner Investment, and the Market Value of Energy

摘要

Background figures on rental housing, past work, and several methods of billing tenants for energy costs are reviewed. The following are reported: the effect of tenant payment on short-term energy use, owner actions in properties with owner vs tenant energy payment, and the role of energy in the rental housing market. A model of owner-tenant interactions affecting energy use in multifamily buildings, and a method of estimating the long-term effects of tenant payment on energy use are presented. Implications of the findings for policies concerning utility payment modes and energy investments in rental housing are discussed. (ERA citation 09:002603)