There’s no question that green building is on the rise. Thanks to the United States Green Building Commission (USGBC) and their ever expanding Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system, more green certified developments are on the market than ever before. So how do interested tenants looking to rent a commercial or residential space single out their green potentials without combing through the usual rental listings? Well, lucky residents of Portland, Oregon have the option of pointing their URL towards GreenRenter.com in search for their next environmentally friendly space.
The brainchild of four locals with backgrounds in sustainable development, green building, energy efficiency and internet technology, GreenRenter was launched earlier this year in order to give those interested in a greener lifestyle at home or small business owners watching the triple-bottom-line a direct line into all sustainable rental properties available in the local area. The listings are broken down by both residential and commercial offerings providing a variety of spaces that can be used as a residential address, office, restaurant, or for retail. Browsers will not only be able to see available listings, but will also have the ability to view all the green building locally available, should they have an inquiring mind. Listed buildings include LEED certified recipients, but go further to include the properties that did not want to pay for the associated commissioning charges to receive a LEED plaque. Non-LEED accredited buildings may only be included on GreenRenter if they satisfy at least one feature in seven sustainable areas that seem to somewhat mirror the LEED core competencies: energy, water, building materials, operations, building surroundings (landscape), certifications and awards . Both searching and listing on GreenRenter is free for those interested in taking a peak or posting a building.
The mission statement for GreenRenter shows their hopes to attract those currently not interested in the green rental market, by making searching for and going green easier than ever. All of their online listings are linked to Google Maps, making it extremely user friendly. While the site is currently only available in the Portland Area, it’s safe to say that there’s a growing need for this type of listing throughout the US. Let’s hope they expand soon.
